Science in the Service of Agriculture

Among this year’s Winter Bird events at Hula Park was an open day held by KKL-JNF’s Northern Research and Development Station at an exhibition that gave visitors the opportunity to observe examples of applied and developmental agricultural research.

How does one develop a new variety of bigger, redder and more beautiful apple? What can be done to curb the grapevine virus, which damages vineyards and the wine industry? How can farmers cope with the Mediterranean fruit fly? What innovative methods have been found to calculate the precise quantity of water each crop requires? These were some of the issues at the exhibition that are currently the subject of research and experimentation at KKL-JNF’s Northern Research and Development Station. 

The Station employs twelve experienced researchers and a large number of students. “Although we use recognized scientific research tools and work to accepted academic standards, pure research is not our main objective,” explains Elkana Ben Yashar, manager of KKL-JNF’s Northern R & D station. “Our main goal is application rather than theory: we want to provide a service for agriculture in northern Israel and promote farming by directing it into more profitable channels.”

As an organization that is involved in the management of open spaces, agricultural development, settlement promotion and the promotion of applied research – all for the benefit of mankind and the environment – KKL-JNF takes a special interest in research and development. And, indeed, a significant portion of the budget for R & D centers throughout the country is funded by KKL-JNF, with the help of its Friends throughout the world. 

These research and development activities extend all over northern Israel. Because the climate in this region varies from place to place, different crops are grown and different farming methods used in the various different locations: apples in the northern Golan, avocados in the lowlands, mushrooms in Western Galilee, persimmons and pomegranates in the intermediate areas, beef cows in the Golan and Galilee – these are just a few of the different types of farming that receive professional assistance from the KKL-JNF R & D station.