agriculture

Confocal microscope image of leaf peonies during gas exchange measurement

Seeing the plant "breathe" in real time: New system monitors peonies while measuring gas exchange

  • No comments
Stomata In-Sight combines live microscopy with a controlled leaf cell, enabling the connection between stomata opening and water loss and CO₂ uptake
Poisoning of vultures, October 2021, in the Nahal Kina area in the south. Photo: Shlomit Shavit, Israel Nature and Parks Authority

The blessing and curse of pesticides

Following mass poisonings of wildlife from improper use of pesticides – here's how to reduce the risk of the next poisoning
Caption: Comparison between the condition of various leaves coated with SafeWax (right) and the condition of uncoated leaves (left). From top to bottom: tomato, basil, pepper and grapevine

Coating a plant with wax will save over 50% on pesticides

  • No comments
The technology, published in the journal Small and funded by an EIC-Pathfinder grant, creates a uniform hydrophobic layer that makes it difficult for bacteria and fungal spores to adhere to the leaf — without harming photosynthesis, while also protecting against UV radiation and heat.
Children in Tehran fill jugs from a public water tank. The photo was taken in 2020. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Iran examines water imports and warns against evacuation Tehran: Water crisis worsens

  • 3 תגובות
Dam levels are dropping, over-pumping is causing land subsidence, and the government is looking for solutions – from water imports to diversion projects and cloud seeding. * The crisis, which is a direct result of the global climate crisis with worsening
the fruit of the appendix. By No machine-readable author provided. JuanseG~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=442411

Edit, domesticate, grow: CRISPR brings an unknown relative of the tomato to the field

  • 4 תגובות
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory researchers have edited genes in Golden Berries to produce plants that are about 35% shorter and easier to plant and harvest, and plan to further improve traits such as fruit size and disease resistance.
Storm over Haifa. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Storm "Byron" in Israel: Another sign of the climate crisis and lack of preparedness

  • One response
Prof. Shlomit Paz from the University of Haifa explains how warm seas and air increase the intensity of rainfall, why storms like "Byron" are becoming more common in the Mediterranean basin - and warns of the cost of flooding,
Droughts lead to severe water shortages, reduced food supplies and even severe restrictions on electricity consumption. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Without water, there is no future: UN report warns of an era of severe droughts and a global water crisis

A new UN report maps the world's drought hotspots – from Africa and the Panama Canal to the Mediterranean basin – and warns of growing damage to water supplies, food security and economic stability, which is also
Insects are the most species-rich group of animals, and they also play a number of critical roles in ecosystems. Photo: Agricultural field with insect trap. Photo: Liraz Kabra-Leikin

Identify the insect: Artificial intelligence helps farmers maintain biodiversity

An agricultural field in the Hula Valley. Field crops have replaced the apples that have difficulty growing in the heat. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The heat is rising and the plate is emptying: Climate crisis is reducing agricultural areas worldwide and in the Middle East

New research suggests that the climate crisis threatens to shrink agricultural land around the world, especially in regions near the equator and in the Middle East. If we don't act, the ability to produce food will be severely affected.
Dairy Farm. Image courtesy of Denron Dairy Farm

Will the climate crisis create a global milk shortage?

  • 3 תגובות
Israeli-American study reveals that an extremely hot day reduces milk yield by up to 10% and that cooling technologies only partially compensate for the damage
Large clam shell insect (Oncopeltus fasciatus). Credit: Louise Wudrich

Why are insects disappearing?

  • One response
International study reveals more than 500 combined factors causing global decline in insect populations and suggests not just focusing on bees and butterflies
A swarm of locusts on a green tree branch. Illustration: depositphotos.com

How does a swarm of locusts decide where to turn and move forward?

New Israeli research reveals the secrets behind the swarm and shows it is not just an agricultural disaster but also a biological wonder
An innovative system combines sensors, artificial intelligence, and advanced algorithms to identify signs of hive collapse in advance.

The Artificial Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Bee Hives

Advanced sensors and artificial intelligence monitor the condition of bees and prevent hive collapse in real time.
Jeffrey Dangle, Brian Stacekevich and Jonathan Jones. Photos: Wolf Prize Foundation

Wolf Prize in Agriculture 2025: Recognizing groundbreaking discoveries in the plant immune system

  • No comments
The prize is awarded jointly to Professors Jeffrey Dangle, Jonathan Jones and Brian Stacekevich.
Prof. Dan Shechtman, Minister of Education Yoav Kish, President Yitzhak Herzog and Wolf Foundation CEO Reut Yinon Berman

Winners of the 2025 Wolf Prize in Science and Architecture announced

  • No comments
Antibiotic resistant bacteria. Illustration: depositphotos.com

An innovative approach to dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacteria

  • No comments
The effects of the climate may be even more significant than the direct effects of man. Photo: pixabay

Not only man directly: the climate as a key factor in the distribution of mammals

From squirrels to wolves, mammals have a problem. A new study examined which threatens them more - direct human actions, or climate change
Fires on the border between Israel and Lebanon. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The war on the hive: how do the fires affect the bee population in Israel?

Following the severe fires in the north, the beehives were also damaged - what might be the cost of the damage and is there anything that can be done to restore them?
Olive vineyard in organic farming. Photography: Raz Simon

More profitable agriculture: the method of growing olives that is good for the economy and the environment

A new Israeli study examined how different methods of agriculture affect the environment and the landscape versus the benefits for the farmer. The findings show that there is a method that makes it possible to both generate economic profit and preserve nature
The UC Berkeley research team used CRISPR/Cas9 to increase gene expression in rice by modifying its upstream regulatory DNA. While other studies have used this technology to inactivate or decrease gene expression, this study is the first to use gene editing without bias to increase gene expression and subsequent photosynthetic activity. Credit: RIPE Project.

A research team uses CRISPR/Cas9 to change photosynthesis properties of agricultural crops

  • No comments
While other studies have used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to disable or decrease gene expression, the new study published in Science Advances used unbiased gene editing for the first time to increase gene expression and subsequent photosynthetic activity.
The researchers placed artificial flowers in the area that contained mixtures of fragrances. A night moth approaches a cardboard flower that emits scents of the night candle Charles Hedgcock/University of Washington

Polluted floral scent

  • One response
The milk from the air in the center of the image will replace that of the cows grazing outside. Credit to the science site, via DALEE

The "Cow of the Sky" project - producing milk from the air

The Cow of Heaven project aims to find a way to produce milk protein from bacteria that feed on carbon dioxide and hydrogen
Comparison between the plants whose seeds were exposed to ethylene, and the normal plants. source

Eureka moments, strange discoveries and super plants

Thanks to an accidental discovery in the laboratory, researchers were able to improve plant growth and give them resistance to drought and salinity conditions, by exposing their seeds to a plant hormone in a simple and easy-to-apply process
food waste Illustration: depositphotos.com

Save food, save the world

The cooperative economy tries to provide an answer to the loss of food
The historical partial terraces in the Jordan Valley. Illustration: Prof. Yigal Aral, Hebrew University

The beginning of the agricultural revolution - the National Science Foundation

Dust that came from the Sahara and Saudi Arabia about 11,000 years ago - contributed to the development of agriculture in the Jordan Valley
A scene demonstrating what the Neolithic period looked like. Created using Dali 2

A study conducted in Morocco found genetic kinship between African hunter-gatherers, European farmers and shepherds from the Mazat

  • No comments
This complex interaction of cultures between 5500 and 4500 BC in the Maghreb region led to exchanges of knowledge, cultural changes and mutual genetic influences
What is the connection between orchardists and forest fires? Orchard in Kfar Saba Park. Photo: Bonnie Sheinman, KKL-Junk Archives

Wood against the fire

Did you know that trees can be very effective in preventing fires? Yes yes, this is not a contradiction: in a new Israeli article it is suggested to use orchards as a tool against the spreading fire. How is this move possible and will we soon see
A prototype of an agri-voltaic system with spectral splitting - Volcani Institute photo

An innovative agri-voltaic system for splitting solar radiation

  • 2 תגובות
The system allows the installation of a solar field above shade-sensitive crops - at high density * The development was presented at the international Agri-Voltay Conference SunnySide APV SUMMIT 2023 sponsored by the Miguel Research Institute from Israel and the Fernhofer Institute from Germany
A bowl of rice. Image: depositphotos.com

Rice-23: The rice that saves half of the work for farmers

Scientists have developed a method to double the annual crop from one to two times, while improving properties in rice that can make it at least partially a perennial plant
Solar panels for electricity generation in agricultural land. Image: depositphotos.com

The Triangle Regional Research and Development Center will lead a 5.5 million Euro research project in the Horizon-Europe program

  • 2 תגובות
To this day there are areas where the wine vines are not irrigated, but the trend of their irrigation is expanding. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

The thirsty fruits of the Mediterranean basin

Grapes, wheat and corn: according to a new study, popular agricultural crops in the Mediterranean countries will need more irrigation in the near future - and this when the water sources in the region are only dwindling. How are the farmers preparing for this?
vortex. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Vortex of one atom

The institute's scientists and their research partners from the Technion and Tel Aviv University have for the first time created mixed beams of individual atoms
The prodania larvae hatch from the eggs. Photo: shutterstock

What can vegetarian insects teach us about the importance of vitamin C in their development?

  • No comments
An olive orchard is infected with the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in the province of Puglia in Italy. The bacterium damages the flow of fluids in the trees and causes dehydration. Photo: shutterstock

Farmers and anti-bacterial viruses

  • One response
Prof. Danny Zamir. Photo: Courtesy of the Israel Prize Committee

Winner of the Israel Prize for Agriculture and the Environment: Professor Danny Zamir from the Hebrew University

  • One response
Deforestation, one of the causes of soil erosion. Photo: shutterstock

Agriculture to mitigate the warming

  • 3 תגובות
That is, about 2.5 million tons of food at a cost of about NIS 18 billion is lost every year. Photo: TAZ.

Climate - agriculture - food

  • 2 תגובות
Algae farm. Photo: JanB46, Wikipedia

Biological reactor for growing algae

  • 3 תגובות
agriculture. Illustration: shutterstock

Will Israel be able to feed itself?

  • 9 תגובות
Genetically modified vegetables and fruits Image: from PIXABAY.COM

Genetic engineers correct an ancient evolutionary defect in plants - and improve the crop by forty percent

  • 9 תגובות
Remains of an agricultural farm in Setaf National Park. Photo: shutterstock

AI economy up to the Middle Ages 14: A wise farmer knows

  • 4 תגובות

The earliest evidence of aquaculture 3,500 years ago - in the eastern Mediterranean

  • One response
agriculture. Illustration: shutterstock

Agriculture can be sustainable and even sequester carbon

  • 2 תגובות
An image of the pest Fall ArmyWorm as received from a farmer in the infected area in India using the application of the Israeli company Saylog. Photo courtesy of Saylog

The Israeli start-up and its war on pests in agriculture through artificial intelligence

  • 4 תגובות
Each liposome (light blue bubble) was loaded with particles of iron and magnesium. The liposomes that were sprayed on the leaves penetrated them, dispersed in all parts of the plant and unloaded the cargo inside the cells.

Nanotechnology for the service of a significant improvement in the yield of agricultural crops

  • No comments
Illustration: pixabay.

Are the weeds raising their heads? New technology will kill them

  • 6 תגובות
Genetically modified vegetables and fruits Image: from PIXABAY.COM

The US Department of Agriculture has removed restrictions on the development of genetically modified plants

  • 15 תגובות
soybean field Source: United Soybean Board.

How much food are we losing, and how can we feed all of humanity over time 

  • 2 תגובות
Illustration: pixabay.

is there water

  • No comments
A female golden jackal in Yarkon Park. Photo: Artemy Voikhansky, Wikipedia.

Predators - enemies or friends?

  • One response
Science website logo
SEARCH