I am a farmer, living in Moshav Paran since 1985. I was a high school teacher for 15 years in the Arava regional school. Since 2006, I coordinate the research on fruiting trees, herbs and spices at the R&D. Some of my current projects are: - Introduction of varieties of pitaya and apricot as alternative crops for the Arava farmers. - Date palms – agrotechnics and pest control. - Basil – pest control, improved yield and post-harvest storage.
7
תחום או ענף מטעים
תאריך עדכון 14/3/2012
Irrigation of a mango plantation with desalinated water, Sodom Valley
Dafna Harari, Ami Maduel, Uri Zeiri, Aviran Asraf, Rami Golan, Svetlana Gogio – Central and Northern R&D Arava
Baruch Luzon, Izik Kosto, Shlomo Kramer – Extension Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
E-mail address for correspondence: dafnahr@arava.co.il
Abstract
Aside from dates, no orchard or vineyard crops have been grown in the Sodom Valley area, unlike the southern areas of the Arava Valley, in which mango and grapes are grown. Despite the unique climate of the Sodom Valley area and the early-ripening advantages associated with such a climate, the area in this region planted to orchards/vineyards (excluding dates) is limited and includes small areas of Brazilian figs and papaya. The main reason for this is the quality of the water. The saline water available in the area has an EC of 3.5-4. In the case of perennial crops, such as orchard crops and grapevine, the salt accumulates in the plant, there is a subsequent decrease in growth and yield and the trees or vines eventually die. In the past, experiments were conducted involving orchard crops and vineyards in the region, but these efforts did not succeed over the long term due to the accumulation of salts. The decrease in the cost of desalinated water and the development of more effective, cheaper technologies have made possible the desalination of water for agriculture. This desalinated water can be blended with local water. The quality of this blended water is just as good as that of the piped water in the northern and central parts of the country. That is, this water has a salinity level of 1-1.5 (dS/m).
In 2006, a mango orchard was planted on the grounds of the Zohar Experimental Station. Mango cultivars Shelly and Tommy were planted in a screen-house. Some plots were irrigated with the local piped water and the others were irrigated with desalinated water. The plots were separated by sheets of polyethylene that extended to a depth of 1.5 m, in order to prevent the roots from growing in the direction of the blended water. After six growing seasons, large differences were noted in the growth of the plants and the quantity and quality of their yields. Soil and root examinations in the treatment that was irrigated with local pipeline water revealed increased salinity in the deeper layers and, for that reason, fewer roots. The damage that the salinity caused the trees was visible in both cultivars, but was especially notable in cv. Shelly; some of those trees dried up completely. Regarding the yield, we saw heavy fruit production throughout the orchard, in both cultivars and both irrigation treatments. The cv. Tommy did comparatively better when it was irrigated with the blended water. In cv. Shelly, there was no significant difference in export-quality yield, but about 30% of the yield of this cultivar was made up of small fruit (less than 200 g) that were not fit for export. In light of the results of this study, it is clear that the expansion of the variety of orchard crops grown in Sodom Valley requires a supply of water that is significantly less saline than that currently available for agriculture. The success of the experiment will open up new ways to take advantage of the idea of building a central desalination facility for each region.
שפה English
KETWORDS irrigation, salinity
AUTHORS Dafna Harari, Ami Maduel, Uri Zeiri, Aviran Asraf, Rami Golan, Svetlana Gogio, Baruch Luzon, Izik Kosto, Shlomo Kramer
שנה 2011
שייכות yzvieli
תאריך יצירה 14/3/2012
תאריך עדכון 14/3/2012
4 תחום או ענף אגרוטכנולוגיה; הגה"צ; ירקות; תבלינים
תאריך עדכון 14/3/2012
Optimizing winter basil production in Sodom Valley without heating
Dafna Harari, Uri Zairi, Ami Maduel, Aviran Asraf, Rami Golan, Shimon Pivonia – Central and Northern Arava R&D
Izik Esquira – Israeli Plant Board
David Silverman, Svetlana Dobrinin – Extension Service (Shaham), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
David Kenigsbuch, Meir Teitel, Yigal Elad – Institute of Plant Protection, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization
E-mail address for correspondence: dafnahr@arava.co.il
Abstract
Basil is strictly a summer crop; high temperatures are required for its proper development. In the past, most of the basil crop was grown in the Beit Shean area, the Jordan Valley and the Besor area in greenhouses that were heated to 16–18°C during the winter. With increased fuel prices and a decrease in economic returns, most basil production shifted to Sodom Valley, which enjoys higher winter temperatures. The continuous supply of quality basil from this area throughout the winter is possible if we understand the conditions that are necessary for growing basil free of any cold damage and suitable for export via ship. The goal of this research is to study the optimal and efficient use of low-cost agro-techniques that can substitute for supplemental heating for the production of quality winter basil crops.
The basil-production experiments were conducted over four seasons (2007/8 through 2010/11) in 12 polyethylene walk-in tunnels whose ventilation openings were covered with 50 mesh. The following agro-techniques were evaluated: 100- to 200-micron-thick sheeting and floating row covers (woven cloth, Agril) of two thicknesses and two different durations of coverage. The crop was evaluated in covered and uncovered soil in combination with two types of tunnel coverings: a 100-micron-thick thermal screen and a 150-micron-thick thermal screen; in a cold winter and in a warm winter. We examined the crop in ventilated and closed tunnels, as well as in closed tunnels with water sleeves (water in plastic pipes), and in combination with floating row covers. We monitored the temperature and humidity in the tunnels, checked the incidence of diseases in the area, examined the weight and quality of the harvested crop and evaluated its shelf-life in a system designed to simulate the conditions typically faced by produce shipped by sea.
The results from the four years of this study indicate that the use of sheeting to cover the tunnels and soil did not contribute to significant differences in the temperature and relative humidity inside the tunnels. High-quality yields were collected from each of the different covering treatments each year. Beginning with the fourth harvest, we noticed advantages to growing the crop under floating row covers that were spread out 24 hours a day and to the use of ventilated tunnels. The use of a 50%-sealed thermal screen during a relatively warm winter had a negative effect on yield quality. Water sleeves moderated the temperature in the tunnel during the day and decreased the humidity in the tunnel during the night. Covering the tunnels and/or soil with sheeting can help reduce input expenses during both cold and warm winters.
The choice of which type of polyethylene sheeting to use for basil crops in Sodom Valley should be based on the needs of the grower, based only on the strength of the polyethylene. Generally, covering the soil with polyethylene will not increase the quality of the winter basil.
The use of a thermal screen significantly increased the temperature in the tunnels on cold nights. That is, additional energy was obtained in those tunnels. Together with this, there was an increase in humidity over the night. Humidity has a negative effect on the shelf-life of basil. We still have not identified the best way to set up the thermal screen to improve the quality of winter basil in Sodom Valley. The use of floating row covers that are kept spread out 24 hours a day is very convenient and, in certain seasons, this practice has had a positive effect on yield. Overnight humidity levels in these tunnels were lower than those in tunnels in which a thermal screen was used, but higher than those in the ventilated tunnels, and this may harm the quality of the yield. The use of floating row covers can improve yield quantity and quality, but we were not able to apply this method in each of the years of the study. The use of a ventilated tunnel during a relatively mild winter decreased the development of canopy diseases such as botrytis, thereby improving the shelf-life of the basil. The use of water sleeves was found to be problematic, as holes often developed in the sleeves, causing them to leak.
The standard planting density currently used by growers is 30 plants per m2. In each year of the study, the use of lower planting densities (20, 15 and 10 plants per m2) led to lower yields only at the first harvest. After that point, there was no difference in overall yield. Together with this, the use of a lower planting density in closed tunnels led to improved shelf-life. This finding suggests that growers can plant winter basil at a lower density over large areas and save on input costs.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Scientist’s Fund for funding research project 603-0237-10, as well as the management of the Vegetable Division of the Plant Board and the Herb Growers’ Association for their help in funding this study. We thank herb growers Eran Wein and Yoram Ozri from Ein Tamar and the Adafresh Company for their cooperation and for storing and transporting the basil for shelf-life testing.
שפה English
KEYWORDS Botrytis, resistance, plant protection, insecticides, management, fresh herbs, polyethylene, Arava Israel, thermal screens, walk-in tunnels, Bemisia tabaci
AUTHERS Dafna Harari, Uri Zairi, Ami Maduel, Aviran Asraf, Rami Golan, Shimon Pivonia, Izik Esquira, David Silverman, Svetlana Dobrinin, David Kenigsbuch, Meir Teitel, Yigal Elad
שנה 2011
שייכות yzvieli
תאריך יצירה 14/3/2012
תאריך עדכון 14/3/2012
Optimizing winter basil production without heating in the northern Arava
תחום או ענף אגרוטכנולוגיה; הגה"צ; ירקות; תבלינים
תאריך עדכון 1/10/2011
Optimizing winter basil production without heating in the northern Arava
Dafna Harari, Ami Maduel, Moran Kapon, Rami Golan, Shimon Pivonia, Omer Galor – Central and Northen Arava R&D
Izik Esquira - Israeli Plant Board
David Silverman, Svetlana Dobrinin – Extension Service (Shaham), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
David Kenigsbuch, Meir Teitel, Yigal Elad - Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center
Email for correspondence: dafnahr@arava.co.il
Keywords: Botrytis, resistance, plant protection, insecticide, management, fresh herbs, polyethylene, Arava Israel, thermal screens, walk-in tunnels, Bemisia
Over the last five years, the herb-production sector has grown at a rate of 10-15% a year. Basil accounts for 35% of herb exports. Since basil is a summer crop that needs high temperatures in order to develop properly, Israeli basil production has been concentrated in the Beit She’an, Jordan Valley and Besor regions. During the winter, the buildings in these areas in which basil is grown are heated to 16-18°C. With the increase in fuel prices and the decrease in economic returns, much of the winter basil production has shifted to the northern Arava, in order to take advantage of the mild temperatures in this region. During the 2009/10 season, an experimental system was set up at the Zohar Research Station in the northern Arava to evaluate energy-saving agro-technical methods for use as substitutes for supplemental heating of winter basil in the traditional production areas. The experiments were conducted in walk-in 1” tunnels that were covered with sheets of 100-micron polyethylene and whose ventilation openings were covered with 50-mesh netting. Each tunnel covered ¼ dunam and was 40 m long. All of the tunnel entranceways were covered with 50-mesh netting.
We tested different coverings: A) a thermal screen spread out at night; B) Agril spread out at night; and C) an Agril covering left in place 24 hours a day, under which basil was grown in covered or uncovered ground. We also tested four stand densities: 30, 20, 15 and 10 plants/m2. The plants were transplanted in early December with the goal of harvesting quality basil during February and March. The use of a thermal screen was not associated with any advantages for the crop. In fact, the quality of the yield in the thermal-screen treatment was low. Keeping an Agril covering in place 24 hours a day led to crop yields that were significantly higher than those of the other treatments at each of the five harvests. The quality of these yields was also good. The use of an Agril covering only at night led to good-quality yields at the first four harvests. Growing the crop at a density lower than that commonly used by growers did not lead to any decrease in the total yield for the season and the material harvested from these treatments did well in a post-harvest storage test, with the exception of the material from the second harvest from the treatments with densities of 10 and 15 plants/m2. We did not observe any significant difference between covered and uncovered soil (within the tunnels). Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and white mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) developed with the decrease in plant density and their levels increased in the thermal-screen and Agril plots. We suggest repeating the experiment with a low plant density and the addition of sleeves of polyethylene filled with water and Agril, to improve our ability to produce quality basil during the winter without energy expenditures.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Scientist’s Fund for funding Research Program no. 603-0237-09. We thank the management of the Vegetable Division of the Plant Board and the Herb Growers Association for their help in funding this project. We also extend heartfelt thanks to herb growers Eran Wein and Yoram Ozeri from Ein Tamar and the AdaFresh Company for their cooperation and for storing and transporting the basil for shelf-life evaluations.
שפה English
מלות מפתח Botrytis, resistance, plant protection, insecticide, management, fresh herbs, polyethylene, Arava Israel, thermal screens, walk-in tunnels, Bemisia
מחבר Dafna Harari, Ami Maduel, Moran Kapon, Rami Golan, Shimon Pivonia, Omer Galor, Izik Esquira, David Silverman, Svetlana Dobrinin, David Kenigsbuch, Meir Teitel, Yigal Elad
שנה 2010
שייכות yzvieli
תאריך יצירה 1/10/2011
תאריך עדכון 14/3/2012
