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<AgroIsrael> Israeli Agricultural Innovation in one click

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• Israeli Agriculture, a case study of innovation and entrepreneurship

• Manna on the Menu

• Volcani Signs Agreement withWorld Food Preservation Center

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Israeli AgricultureA case study of innovation

and entrepreneurshipShafrir Godel

Israel is considered to be one of the most innovative nations and, indeed, is often described as the 'Startup Nation*'. The Israeli business atmosphere encourages innovation, inventiveness and creativity. This is true for many sectors, including agriculture.

Israeli agriculture holds a number of productivity world records and is famous for its agricultural achievements and efficient use of scarce resources of land, water and labor. Israeli farmers and agri-businessmen are known for being early and fast adapters to new technologies.

So what has worked for Israeli agriculture? How can a relatively young nation have such advanced

agriculture? What has made Israel a leading force in world agriculture? What are the key factors of Israeli agriculture’s success? Understanding the answers can assist many nations in their struggle to ensure food security for their people.

Innovation and entrepreneurship at all stages of the agricultural value chain have been keys to the success of Israeli agriculture. In this regard, the government, academy and R&D centers, farmers, service and input companies, and fresh produce exporters all play crucial roles. The innovative advantage is neither permanent nor static, but requires the ongoing combined efforts of all parties in the agriculture value chain.

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>> What is a supportive atmosphere for innovation?A supportive atmosphere** is an ecosystem combining four major elements that help the farmer maintain a productive farming unit. These players work together to address agronomic, post-harvest, business and market challenges by providing effective solutions for the agriculture value chain.

Upcoming challenges

The meaning of innovation is changing!

The nature of innovation today is different from what it was a few decades ago. Today's innovation is based on computation and data analysis. In the near future we will have to collect data, analyze it and provide solutions in “real time” in order to maintain Israel's innovative advantage.

Components of an effective ecosystem for innovative agriculture

This support system provides funding, regulation, legal support, R&D, infrastructure, networking and marketing support.

Rapid change Innovative changes are happening faster, borders are open and there are more players around the globe that influence us. The distribution of innovative solutions is much faster than in the past. Agriculture's stakeholders must be aware of the need to move faster, to adapt to changes more quickly and sometimes to abandon solutions, technologies and even markets that are at the heart of today's commercial activities.

Takeover by international companies Globalization enables international conglomerates to dominate the market. These large organizations may not always be innovative or enthusiastic to promote change. In recent years many of the leading Israeli companies were bought by international conglomerates or invested in by VC funds. Both hold a very different set of goals and strategies from

Fresh produce traders and exporters

Private sector: manufacturers, suppliers and professional professional

service providers

Academy and applied

r&d

PRODUCTIVE FARMERS

Government

An Israeli team guiding Indian farmers

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the companies themselves. Israeli companies that once saw niche markets as their primary markets, which required of them innovative thinking and solutions, are now serving international companies' goals that focus on productivity, volume and market domination.

The decreasing involvement of government

Since the early days of Israel the government has shown a deep interest and involvement in the agricultural sector. It has taken a major role in infrastructure investments, offered a well-developed free extensions service, given loans and subsidies to farmers, held a major share of Agrexco – the national fresh produce export company, and developed R&D centers - academic as well as applied research institutes. This involvement has had a tremendous influence on the progress and achievements of Israeli agriculture.

In recent years the government has been

Shafrir Godel is the founder of AgriQuality (www.agriquality.net). Shafrir is an experienced Agro- business strategy consultant and business development expert.

* 'Start-up Nation': The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle is a 2009 book by Dan Senor and Saul Singer about the economy of Israel

** Support to some of the ideas presented in this article can be found in publications made by the Israel Innovation Institute http://www.israelinnovation.org.il/

pulling out of many of its activities in the agricultural sector. There are many

reasons for this new approach, but the bottom line is that the

government now plays a smaller role in shaping the nature of Israeli

agriculture and its value chain. As the diagram above shows, the government is an essential part of the agricultural innovative network, without which that network is in jeopardy.

>> The potential for contributions to food security and food safety around the globe

The lessons Israel has learned can be utilized by other nations facing similar challenges. Countries that have not secured their food supply, face a shortage of resources and/or seek economic solutions for remote and peripheral regions, can learn from the Israeli case study about how to produce more with fewer resources and how to approach new markets. Countries that choose to learn from the Israeli experience will find Israel’s government agencies and private sectors eager and enthusiastic to cooperate. •

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In 2011, opening shots were fired in a uniquely Israeli revolution, when the rising price of cottage cheese – a staple of the Israeli diet – sparked a consumer boycott that evolved into summer-long street protests focusing on a wide range of economic issues. According to Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, Director of Tel Aviv University's recently established Manna Program in Food Safety and Security, this is just one example of how, when facing the challenge of feeding the world's growing population, a veritable smorgasbord of factors must be taken into account.

"In the cottage cheese protests, outrage erupted because in Israel, like in most developed nations, we take the availability of affordable food for granted," says Chamovitz, a noted plant geneticist who directs TAU's Manna Center for Plant Biosciences and is also a teacher, science commentator and author. But soon, Chamovitz says, scarcity could be on the menu.

Mannaon the Menu

TAU steps up to the plate on global food security

Prof. Danny Chamovitz, whose research focuses on plant proteomics, does pro bono consultation for governmental agencies on food security. His popular science book What a Plant Knows was the basis for a recent TAU Coursera course that enrolled over 34,000 students from around the world.Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

"Fifty years ago, the Earth's population was three billion, and we're up to seven billion today. By the year 2050 the population will hit nine billion. We'll need to feed these people in an era of dwindling resources – including land, water and fertilizer – and may also have to contend with the challenge of climate change. To produce enough culturally-appropriate nutrition for everyone, we need to create an integrated strategy that links plant science and agricultural research with economics, law, public policy, and the humanities," asserts Chamovitz.

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This integrated approach is at the heart of the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security, which puts TAU's unique confluence of experts to work training the next generation of academics and practitioners who will focus on food-related issues. The program offers MA/MSc and PhD studies and an international summer school – all taught in English. Scholarships awarded by the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences are helping bring international students to campus. At the same time, seed money for special projects is enabling Israeli graduate students to conduct food security-related research abroad. The goal, writ large: to step up to the plate – and fill it – with Israeli food security leadership.

>> Manna from heaven: The Gates connection

Reaching this goal just became a little easier, thanks to a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private charitable trust in the world. Currently supporting wheat research at the University's Institute for Crop Improvement, the Gates Foundation is also helping TAU connect with people and organizations working to improve food security in Africa. One Gates-sponsored Ugandan wheat scientist is already scheduled to join a TAU lab.

"Tel Aviv is the only university in Israel, and one of a few worldwide, that promotes the creation

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and dissemination of practical strategies for food security based on a truly comprehensive academic approach," Chamovitz says. "Research activity going on in many of TAU's departments – not just plant sciences – is what inspired Bill Gates to become involved with us."

>> Exporting Israeli know-how

Along with bringing foreign scientists to the campus, the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security provides Israeli students with educational opportunities abroad. For example, Yannay Shanan, a master’s candidate in economics, recently traveled to Nepal, together with fellow TAU graduate student Matan Hoffmann, to evaluate the effectiveness of an Israeli aid organization's training program for local farmers.

"I worked in a hilly area called Ramechhap where villagers grow crops, but where the scarcity of irrigation sources means that many plots stay uncultivated, and many households don't grow enough to sustain themselves," Shanan recounts. "I evaluated a training program sponsored by an Israeli NGO that teaches farmers how to improve crop yields. Villagers were shown how to use natural pesticides and fertilizers, how to operate mini-greenhouses and how to grow crops that aren't native to the region, such as wheat. My goal was to design a study that would measure the impact of this teaching activity, to see if the training actually improves the well-being of the local community."

Shanan's investigation in Nepal put the economic principles he'd learned in the classroom to practical use. "It was a great experience to design the study, and to assist in the collection of data that could help us assess the impact of this type of program on food-security outcomes," he says. "It's been said that you can't fully understand developing world economies without 'boots on the ground.' Mine were, and I believe this had educational value for me personally, and was also key for

creating the kind of analysis framework that will help future groups create interventions that produce measurable, positive effects."

>> The science of food security

TAU's strength in the food security field was recognized nationally in May 2013, when the Israeli government selected the University's Prof. Hillel Fromm to lead a new Center of Research Excellence (I-CORE) in "Plant Adaptation to the Changing Environment." This research consortium supports joint work by scientists from four Israeli universities, with TAU researchers making up the single largest group.

According to Fromm, much of the I-CORE's work will involve a new take on an old Zionist theme. Rather than "making the desert bloom," these scientists will concentrate on "making the desert feed."

"With the world's agricultural lands largely exploited, it is vital to promote cultivation in non-traditional settings," he says. "The I-CORE provides five years of much-needed funding so that researchers can work on clarifying the basic scientific principles that govern plant adaptation – principles that can later be incorporated into new biotechnological techniques to increase food production."

A long career spent examining how plants adapt to harsh conditions made Fromm a natural choice to direct the I-CORE. "A plant's self-regulation is complex because it occurs in response to a tremendous number of input factors, from light wavelength, heat and oxygen, to the presence of pathogens," Fromm explains, adding by way of example that plant roots dynamically adjust their architecture so that they grow in the direction of water sources.

"Charles Darwin said that plant roots are like a 'small brain' and he was right. Today, the challenge is to use modern genetic tools to clarify how this small brain makes the 'decisions' that ensure plant survival," Fromm says.

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Master’s student Moran Nave in Dr. Assaf Distelfeld’s wheat fieldCourtesy of Tel Aviv University

>> Wisdom from the fields

At TAU, plant science is not only about discovering new techniques. It is also about unearthing agricultural secrets from the distant past.

"Throughout history, farmers and breeders have been combining and selecting crop strains, in hopes that this hybridization will produce better quality crops and higher yields," begins Dr. Assaf Distelfeld, an expert on wheat genetics and genomics at the Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants and Institute for Crop Improvement. "But there's a problem: selection reduces the gene pool. With every gene-based trait strengthened, another may be lost. Our work involves going back to older, non-domesticated wheat strains to find quality- and yield-related genes, and then reintroducing them into the wheat we grow for our food."

Distelfeld has a track record in this field of endeavor; while still a doctoral student, he isolated a gene that controls grain protein content. "Comparing modern wheat to wild, we discovered a mutation that resulted in low protein content," he says. "From there, we patented a process for taking the non-mutated gene – which promotes high protein content and

greater nutritional value – and reintroducing it into modern varieties."

Today, Distelfeld uses traditional hybridization methods as well as computerized gene mapping to pursue another quantitative factor: grain weight. "We've identified a chromosomal region linked to grain dimensions such as length and volume," he says. "In the future, we hope to link high grain weight to specific genes that can be transferred into crops. This may not solve world hunger, but it is a small step in the right direction."

Other TAU plant biology initiatives go beyond the optimization of crops, to address what I-CORE director Fromm terms the "tri-lemma" of balancing food, energy and the environment. "Intensifying cultivation requires a lot of energy, so new energy sources are needed," says Fromm. "However, biomass-based fuel from plants ties up agricultural fields needed for food production.

"In one of our studies, conducted together with experts in desert agriculture from the Arava, we are exploring the cultivation of desert trees watered with salty runoff from desalinization plants as a source of biofuel. This is an example of how multi-disciplinary research can lead to creative solutions for sustainability, as well as the production of more food," Fromm enthuses.

>> Food law and rights

To change society, you first have to understand it. That's where the Food Security Program's experts in law, the humanities and the social sciences have an important role to play.

Prof. Aeyal Gross, a member of the Buchmann Faculty of Law, believes that “food security is corollary to the recognized human right to adequate food and adequate nutrition, and is in turn inextricably linked to buying power – a power that, in many cases, is dictated by the state.

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"In Israel, the poorest citizens receive welfare payments which are supposed to act as a kind of food security safety net, but don't guarantee proper nutrition,” Gross says. "At the same time, we don't want the government to be responsible for directly providing us with food, or for telling us what to eat.

"Food law," he says, "is a work in progress around the world because individual societies – through their legislatures, courts and advocacy groups – are negotiating their way toward the ultimate goal: a reasonable standard of food-buying power for all, but without governmental over-instrusiveness."

Prof. Gross's colleague at the law faculty, Dr. Yofi Tirosh, affirms that "just like tax law promotes fairness in taxation, food law is a matter of justice." But, she says, beyond promoting economic equality, "the legal profession needs to think about how the law defines and regulates our relationship to, and choices about, food."

"For example," she says, "the current demands of the labor market make it harder for parents to find time to shop for produce, prepare food at home and have meals with their children. How could the law contribute to more family-oriented and healthy eating habits?"

As another example, Tirosh notes the demand by the US and other governments that food producers specify the caloric value of the food they sell. "This step directs our attention to the individual consumer as a rational and informed player, while diverting it from the much-needed structural changes in the food market. Rather than focusing mainly on information, states should make sure that healthful foods are affordable to all," Tirosh suggests.

>> Food through an historical lens

TAU historian Prof. Amy Singer believes that reaching food security objectives depends on understanding a society's past, particularly its attitudes toward proper apportioning of food

and other resources. "The big question is always: Who deserves what, and at what level – the household, the town, the state or the empire?" Singer thinks that the answer to this question changes over time, depending on everything from climate and population density, to the accumulation or loss of wealth.

Singer's own research – on public kitchens that furthered social policy in the Ottoman Empire – is instructive. "We need to ask: is food security a tool for acquiring political capital? Is it a method for keeping the peace? Is it an ethical or moral value? If we understand the historical attitudes that shaped a particular society, we stand a better chance of instituting policy decisions that will work within that culture and improve lives."

To round out the multidisciplinary mission of food security, Manna Program director Chamovitz draws attention to an additional and very important partnership – between biology and the social sciences. "Plant biologists need to understand the economic implications of what they're doing, while policy people need to understand both the limitations, and the potential, of plant biology," he says. "Working together, we can launch food security initiatives based on Israeli scientific discoveries and make them work in developing societies around the world."

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>> Reviving international development

As a resource-poor country that has achieved Western-level food security success in just a few short decades, Israel has much to offer developing nations. But in reaching out, Israel also stands to benefit.

"Agricultural diplomacy is an effective bridge-building tool," says Dr. Aliza Inbal, Director of the Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy's Pears Program for International Development. "In the 1960s and 70s, Israel was an international development powerhouse, sending out huge numbers of agricultural advisors to work in poverty-stricken nations, particularly in Africa," she says, adding that Israel once topped the world in terms of agricultural advisors sent to other countries. "Unfortunately, the severing of diplomatic relations with Israel after the Yom Kippur War, as well as a steady decrease in Israeli government budgets for foreign aid, has reduced Israel's stamp to just a shadow of its former self.”

With food security rising to the top of the international agenda, Israel is poised to reclaim the development leadership title. "We are the 'startup' nation.' We have a talent for finding creative solutions, and we're good at the things that developing countries need most, like agriculture, water management, renewable energy and education and communication technologies," Inbal says. "The TAU Food Security Program will train people from developing countries so that they'll use Israeli knowledge as the basis for creative initiatives back home and will link Israeli researchers, entrepreneurs and professionals to their counterparts in developing countries.”

Inbal stresses that development work is not just agricultural altruism. "Today, the Israeli agritech sector almost exclusively focuses on high-end technologies targeting developed countries. However, the majority of arable land in the world is farmed by small farmers in low and middle-income countries. By facilitating the development of agricultural technologies and methodologies suitable to the developing world, the Manna Program could open up huge markets that combine good business with doing good. The long-term impact of the Food Security Program will rest on its ability to promote business models that combine saving the world with turning a profit."

According to Chamovitz, reaching out to developing countries goes hand-in-hand with reaching in to the Israeli public itself.

"One of the pillars of the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security is outreach, because we want to remind Israelis that, together, we have the ability to reclaim our place as an international development superpower," Chamovitz says. "Only one-fifth of Israel's land is arable, yet we produce an amazing 80% of all the food our population needs. That's why Israeli and TAU expertise is inspiring, and why it should be out in front all over the world." •

Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

Scoresheet: Feeding 7 Billion People Today

What does the future hold?Every year, the Earth loses 100,000 sq. km. of arable land.

To maintain present-day calories per capita by the year 2025, food availability must increase by 36%

800 million are hungry

700 million are overweight

3.2 billion experience food security

2.3 billion are undernourished

World Food Security

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Volcani, the Israeli Agricultural Research Organization Center (ARO),

signed a memorandum of understanding with WFPC, the World Food Preservation Center, to join forces in combating food scarcity and hunger by means of reducing postharvest losses of food in developing countries.

Volcani-ARO represents the research division of the Ministry of Agriculture

and Rural Development in Israel, covering over 70% of research endeavors in Israeli agricultural research, and is recognized as being at the forefront of scientific and technological development. The World Food Preservation Center, LLC, a 501(c) (3) public charity, is a unique coalition of ten universities from six continents that are developing sustainable techniques to

combat food loss, particularly for emerging economies.

As much as half of harvested food in low-income countries is lost before being consumed, and yet the vast majority of funds for agricultural research is directed to food production and not food preservation. The World Food Preservation Center’s participating institutions seek to correct this imbalance, guided by the belief that preventing food insecurity can also prevent future political instability and violence. The coalition is developing low-cost, sustainable, and regionally-adaptable techniques of food preservation, such as solar refrigeration, biological control and smart packaging.

The participating universities will also offer academic programs and professional training

Israel will officially take part in finding solutions for world hunger through the Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, in partnership with the WFPC.

Volcani Signs Agreement withWorld Food Preservation Center

Prof. Ada Rafaeli

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in postharvest food preservation for students from developing countries in order to establish independent research, education and extension programs in their native countries, and to promote improvement of postharvest food preservation in their country’s government and industry.

“The World Food Preservation Center is very fortunate to partner with Volcani as we face one of the most intractable problems of our time; world hunger. Current projections suggest that even with improved crop yields, we will not be able to meet the world’s demand for food by 2050. The postharvest expertise and educational programs at Volcani-ARO will be invaluable as we confront this challenge,” said Dr. Charles Wilson, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the World Food Preservation Center.

“Volcani-ARO will become a worthy contributor to the World Food Preservation Center's

programs, particularly due to our expertise in postharvest at our Postharvest and Food Science Institute,” said Dr. Ada Rafaeli, ARO's Associate Director for academics, events and international cooperation. “ARO hosts over 300 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows through collaborations with most of the universities in Israel. We see the partnership with WFPC as a major step forward in our mission to educate young scientists from developing countries in the latest technologies for the postharvest preservation of food.” •

prof. Yoram Kapulnik director of Volcani shakes hands with Dr. Charles Wilson, Founder/Chairman & CEO of the World Food Preservation Center, LLC.

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Courtesy of the spokesperson office of the Volcani Institute

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From robotic tractors to satellite photographs, technology is changing the world of agriculture. With greater investment, Israel can lead the field.

How Israeli Technology Could Solve the Next Food Crisis

Ron Maron and Victor Alchanati

Many researchers and professionals around the world warn of worldwide starvation

by 2050. Less and less cultivated land will have to supply more food for the population, which is expected to grow two- or threefold by then. Farm lands are being sold as real estate for the expansion of cities. The average age of farmers in the United States in 2007 was 57, with the younger generation abandoning agriculture for more modern and lucrative professions. If solutions are not found for producing an adequate amount of food, wars will be waged over water and edibles.

Everyone looks to the world of technology, with the understanding that only a true technological revolution can enable human society to deal with this great challenge. In fact, the last great

revolution in agriculture took place in the 1940s and ’50s – the revolution in agricultural machinery. After this came genetic engineering, which encountered fierce public resistance and has therefore failed to realize its potential.

The time has now come for the technological revolution to trickle down to agriculture. The beginnings of this move have been seen over the past decade, and it is steadily gaining momentum. The various technological developments that have taken place may now be fused together for the benefit of other, heretofore unexpected uses in agriculture.

The advent of the smartphone, GPS, satellite photographs, robotics and other sophisticated technologies, combined with a reduction in their

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prices and the simplicity of operation of these technologies – as well as the ability to use them in additional areas – open up new possibilities for the agricultural world. As J. Robert Oppenheimer once said, “The history of science is rich in the example of the fruitfulness of bringing two sets of techniques, two sets of ideas, developed in separate contexts for the pursuit of new truth, into touch with one another.”

The immense progress made in computerized vision and image processing is of critical significance to the success of the new technological revolution, called “precision agriculture.” It is so called because it enables precision in the spatial performance of agricultural tasks, enhancing crops and, at the same time, economizing the resources needed to produce them.

Precision agriculture involves flexible thinking, which may be manifested in simpler forms of solutions – such as that adopted by Nigerian farmers in increasing the fertility of their parched

fields. They use Coca-Cola caps for the precise measurement and placement of the proper amount of fertilizer, adjacent to the plant. This solution was developed by researchers from the global partnership CGIAR, which strives to eradicate hunger and poverty in distressed regions of the world.

At the other extreme, we see also the smart technologies of computerized vision and image processing enabling the production of maps of an individual field by means of satellites, airplanes and UAVs, thus providing a complete picture of the land, including topographical variance, differences in the type of soil, as well as other local conditions such as feed materials and water. Photographs such as these enable the farmer to discern whether a particular field or plot lacks water or nitrogen, or to identify outbreaks of pests or disease in the field.

The ability to utilize local meteorological forecasts and update the farmer with a micro-forecast relevant for his own private fields, as

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well as the ability to adapt the field’s cultivation to this forecast, pushed Monsanto – a giant multinational dealing in agricultural sustainability – to acquire The Climate Corporation for $1 billion in 2013.

>> Getting the most out of man and machine

These capabilities fit in well with the area of robotics, the development of which now enables machines to see, diagnose and respond to needs in the field. As a result, autonomous or semiautonomous tractors have been developed, which can be operated by the farmer. They perform their tasks while adhering to predetermined routes, or follow the crop rows by camera, adjusting the implements so as to avoid damage to crops, etc. The application map is fed to the technological systems of the tractor, which operates automatically or semiautomatically in the fields – knowing where, when and what amount to irrigate, fertilize and spray pesticide in various dosages.

Blue River Technology of California has developed a robotic tractor that traverses lettuce fields, identifying defective lettuce heads, spraying them with a substance that causes them to wither, thus enabling the healthy lettuce to grow. California, where 90% of the lettuce consumed in American households is grown, is suffering from a shortage of skilled manpower, which, until now, has performed this work manually.

As with the lettuce, human-robotic systems can be developed for more complicated tasks, such as automatic orange picking, pruning of fruit trees, and more. Robotic systems with computerized vision guidance may perform difficult, repetitive tasks faster and with greater

precision, where the farmer is fed information from the robotic system and is integrated in decision-making processes. As a result, both elements – man and machine – may be utilized to their maximum effectiveness.

One of the main directions in which innovative technologies in agriculture are now being implemented is the reduction of loss, which currently diminishes world harvests by up to 30%. Computerized vision technologies

discover weeds, diseases and pests as early as possible, in order to prevent serious damage to crops in fields and groves – from the sorting of seeds, to identification and treatment of pests in cultivated areas, and to the harvesting and treatment of produce in packing houses, cold storage of fresh produce and processed foods.

In packing houses after harvesting, cameras inspect all produce and divide it into groups according to the required storage conditions and quality. This extends storage time and keeps the produce from spoiling. Vision systems are integrated into various stages of treatment of fresh produce and processed foods, such as sorting the good peas from the pod or the best carrot cubes or peanuts at a rate of hundreds of pieces per second. Fish in ponds may be sorted by means of camera as well.

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Agricultural engineer in green house for quality control. ShutterStock

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>> An opportunity to join the revolutionIn Israel, several companies have developed innovative systems for the sorting of agricultural produce, such as the Crystal Vision date-sorting system developed at Kibbutz Samar in the Arava Valley, or the Eshet Eilon sorting systems made on Kibbutz Eilon.

However, all of this is nothing compared to the great potential of technological development in agriculture, and the current acute shortage of such technologies. Israel now has the opportunity to join the revolution, which is currently being led by the major U.S. corporations. The most acute shortage of development of technologies lies in Europe, especially the Netherlands and Italy, with their vast farmlands.

There is much talk about technological innovation in agriculture, but not enough is invested in this channel. The time frame for the development of an agricultural startup is seven to 10 years. In order for a technological development to be assimilated in agriculture,

it must function in unstructured, difficult field conditions. Performance must be reliable and precise, and the price competitive.

The last two to three years have seen a growing interest on the part of investors in Israeli agricultural R&D, on the part of funds such as Pontifax and the BIRD Foundation, as well as agriculture companies such as Trendlines Agtech. In addition, the Volcani Institute, together with Israel Aerospace Industries, is exploring ways of adapting military technologies to agricultural use. The BIRD Foundation has just recently approved two collaborations in agriculture, and increased its activity in initiating and encouraging joint development of agricultural applications by Israeli and U.S. companies.

Over the last few weeks, the Economy Ministry has made a public appeal to issue tenders for agricultural knowledge aimed at promoting the Israeli agricultural industry. The ministry has allocated 12 million shekels ($3 million) for the establishment of research centers to encourage Israeli startups in various areas of agriculture over the next six years.

Israel’s experience in the development of military technologies, its experience in converting them to civilian use, and the conceptual flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit which characterize us, can enable Israel to once again play a leading role in the development and advancement of world agriculture. These capabilities have yet to be realized in the world of agriculture. •

Dr. Ron Maron is head of business development at the BIRD Foundation, and a member of the steering committee of the IMVC Convention. Dr. Victor Alchanati is the director of agricultural engineering at the Volcani Institute.

Agriculture with sensor network, Internet of Things, water sprinkling. ShutterStock

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Israeli Scientists Growing Sesame Agriculture to Feed

the HungryBy Jspace Staff

Many people think of sesame seeds as a topping on hamburger buns at profitable

global fast-food chains. But in fact the crop has traditionally been unprofitable and difficult to harvest because it produces a low yield. A high percentage of sesame seeds grown are not suitable for human consumption.

Now a Hebrew University of Jerusalem agricultural researcher has discovered a way to increase the yield and nutritional quality of this important but challenging food crop.

By screening more than 100,000 sesame seed variants, Dr. Zvi Peleg has found a way to develop

a new elite sesame cultivar with enhanced yield and seed quality suitable for modern agricultural practice. Peleg is a senior lecturer at the Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture.

For some 5,500 years, sesame has been grown as an oil-crop in Asia’s Far East and Africa. In Israel and some other Middle Eastern countries, where falafel is a culturally iconic food, tahini (or tehina) sauce, made from sesame, is an essential condiment.

Peleg’s innovation facilitates the use of sesame as part of a farmer’s crop rotation between

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cereal crops, while at the same time making it high-yield. As a result, it contributes to more sustainable agriculture and helps prevent the development of herbicide resistance weeds.

As a new summer crop, sesame is essential for agriculture in Israel and around the world, according to Peleg. Global production of sesame currently stands at 4.4 million tons, with a projected growth value of between 5 and 10 percent yearly.

“The increase in global demand for sesame products as a health food has turned this highly domestic consumption item into an important export commodity for Israel,” said

Dr. Peleg.

Sesame seed contains about 20 percent protein, along

with healthy oils and carbohydrates. It is

one of the highest oil content crops,

broadly ranging from 34 to 63 percent. Sesame seeds are rich in essential nutrients such as iron, zinc and calcium. Peleg’s innovation could improve the bio-availability of these essential nutrients and therefore hold health benefits for consumers.

Peleg conducts his research at the Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, located on the university’s Rehovot campus. He serves on the editorial boards of various peer-reviewed plant journals.

In recognition of his finding, Dr. Peleg has been awarded the Kaye Innovation Award for 2015.

The Kaye Innovation Awards at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have been awarded annually since 1994. Isaac Kaye of England, a prominent industrialist in the pharmaceutical industry, established the awards to encourage faculty, staff and students of the Hebrew University to develop innovative methods and inventions with good commercial potential, which will benefit the university and society. •

This article was originally published by JSpace.com

Sesame varieties

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Scientists plan to cut insect pest populations by turning their own hormones against them

By Professor Vinnie Altstein

An international group of scientists collaborating on researching pest insects

received a €7m subsidy from Europe. The research group includes representatives from Scotland, Belgium, Israel, Sweden, Germany, South Africa and the UK and has an external expert advisory board comprised of members from the German and American industries, representatives from the Belgium and American governments and representatives from American academia. The project, funded through ‘Horizon 2020’, the EU’s research and innovation fund, started on June 1st 2015 and will run for four years. The economic cost of the damage caused by pests is extremely difficult to estimate, however it is believed that biological threats such as insects and disease account for about 40% of all crop losses globally1. By 2017 the world is expected to spend more than $65 billion annually on pesticides2.

The pests being studied include: moths, locusts, aphids, flies and beetles, which either damage crops directly through eating, or indirectly by spreading plant viruses. The researchers are developing a novel group of environmentally friendly insect control agents based on artificial neuropeptides; small protein-like molecules that facilitate communication between the brain and other tissues. The goal of the research is to discover how to turn the pest insects’ own hormones against them in order to alter their behaviour or physiology, i.e. their circadian rhythms, form of mating, reproduction system or appetite, while taking care not to harm the physiology of beneficial insects. The scientists will explore different ways to influence these systems in order to impair the insects’ ability to inflict damage, including:

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y Interfering with fat mobilisation causing the reduction of insects’ fitness, which will hurt locusts’ swarming behaviour.

y Changing the neuropeptides that control the pheromones moths release to attract mates in order to decrease reproduction rates and lead to the reduction of large pest populations.

y Altering neuropeptides that facilitate the balance of fluid, ions and water in pests, in order to lower their ability to cope with stressful conditions (drought, excessive cold or heat, etc.).

Professor Vinnie Altstein, of the Institute of Plant Protection at the Volcani Center, who has worked on the development of neuropeptide-based insect control agents for over twenty five years says: “Insects are the most diverse class of life on earth, some of them highly damaging to agriculture, horticulture and forestry. There is a pressing need, not only for new insecticides to that can overcome resistance in pests, but for more specific, ‘greener’ insect control agents that

1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-156234902 http://www.bccresearch.com/pressroom/chm/global-market-pesticides-reach-$65.3-billion-2017

target damaging insects while sparing beneficial ones and keeping the non-pest species in their right place in the eco-system. An international consortium with unparalleled experience in insect biology has been assembled, and together with an external advisory board, which is comprised of representatives from relevant government agencies, industries and agricultural, horticultural and forestry end-users, we will ensure we meet user needs. Neuropeptide-based insect control agents could be ‘greener’ and more environmentally friendly than current pesticides. The group of researchers at Volcani is among the leading teams in this research and will be responsible for the design and synthesis of such ‘green’ compounds. We expect that the outcome of the consortium’s effort will result in the discovery of highly effective, environmentally friendly insect-pest specific compounds that when adapted into insect control agents will be produced and implemented worldwide and will almost completely replace the current toxic insecticides, and impact major economic sectors globally.”•

Biological threats such as insects and disease account for 40% of all crop losses globally. Shutterstock

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