Israeli Agrotechnology
As a result of Israel’s continuous need to overcome a scarcity of natural resources, particularly water, and benefiting from close cooperation between scientists, consultants, farmers, and agriculture-related industries, Israel has emerged as a significant global innovator of cutting edge agricultural advancements and a worldwide model for the efficient use of water, land and human capital.
Israeli Agro-technology has been at the forefront of the world food revolution and has achieved a significant position in this respect worldwide.
Drip irrigation
Highlights
· Approximately $90 million has been invested annually in research and development, $50 million of which is distributed by the Agricultural Research Organization and the Chief Scientists of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and the Ministry of Agriculture, making Israel a world leader in the allocation of funds for R&D in the Agro-technology industry.
· International cooperation is a major factor in the growth of Israeli Agro-technology. Israel participates in training, joint research projects, transfer of knowledge, and exchange of experts with countries around the world including Japan, Jordan, Australia, India and the USA, and has provided extensive assistance to developing countries throughout the world.
· The irrigation industry pioneered innovative technologies and accessories such as drip irrigation, automatic valves and controllers, automatic filtration, low discharge sprayers, use of low saline content water, mini- sprinklers, compensated drippers and sprinklers.
· Innovations in improvement of produce, such as cherry tomatoes, and vegetables of better quality and with longer shelf life have been developed by Israeli Agronomists.
· Dairy product and technology exports include advanced and computerized milking and feeding systems, cooling systems which reduce heat stress on cows, embryos for transplant, milk processing equipment, consultancy services, as well as joint international project development.
· Advancements in Animal Husbandry in Israel include the development of high milk-producing Assaf sheep, a result of the crossbreeding of the improved Israeli Awassi and the German East Friesian breeds and prize-winning Holstein cows with superior milk production capabilities.
Assaf sheep
· The growing awareness of the importance of ecologically-oriented agriculture has led to the development of “green” fruit, grown with minimal use of chemicals to avoid interfering with the ecosystem or harming the environment. Production is in line with the quality assurance requirements of the European Union, in compliance with EurepGap 2000 principles, ISO standards and crop management protocols.
· Israel has become known for its advanced pomegranate production, with locally developed varieties reaching an average yield of 25-35 tons per hectare and resulting in improved quality and taste.
· Greenhouse systems, including specialized plastic films and heating, ventilation and structure systems, enable Israeli farmers to grow more than three million roses per hectare per season and an average of 300 tons of tomatoes per hectare per season, four times the yields of open fields.
· Technological innovations in the Israeli cotton industry, resulting in shorter growing seasons and larger yields, have been emulated worldwide.
· Flower production in Israel is yet another part of the agricultural sector that uses greenhouses to optimize its productivity i.e. three times as efficient as the traditional production methods. Nearly 80% of the flower production in Israel is exported, mainly to Europe. The flower export accounted for $50 million in 2007.
· Israel develops, manufactures and exports a variety of specialized agricultural equipment, including:
§ Mobile celery packing houses
§ Machinery for digging silage and uniformly mixing feed
§ Poultry equipment such as drinkers, automatic egg collectors, climate control systems and scales for weighing
§ Pomegranate aril (the red part) removal machine and related products which utilize all parts of the pomegranate fruit (e.g. anti-oxidants, tannins from the peel etc.)
§ An air- blast sprayer for use in citrus growing areas and vineyards which provides efficient tree cover, flower bulb transplanters and machinery for packing houses.
Other Israeli Innovations in agro-technology Include:
§ The growth of new high-yielding, high-quality pathogen-resistant vegetables
§ Advanced methods of climate control in protected growing systems
§ Application methods for growing crops in regions with unsuitable soil
§ Application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods to a range of vegetable crops
§ Application of post-harvest methods, means and treatment for lengthening shelf life and preventing crop rotting
