1. Identification and evaluation of novel soil-borne predatory mites for the control of plant parasitic nematodes

2. Reduction of Rhizoglyphus robini damage to onion and garlic by implementing compost for the suppression of Fusarium oxysporum

3. Windborne pollen provisioning cover-crops as a sustainable IPM system in citrus orchards

4. Development of a sustainable management program for the control of the poultry mites Ornithonyssus sylviarum and Dermanyssus gallinae

5. Development of microbial products for Varroa control

Candidate interest in developing environmentally friendly methodologies for pest control

About The Volcani Center

Located at the Volcani Center campus in Bet-Dagan, near Tel-Aviv, ARO’s six institutes are responsible for Plant Sciences, Animal Science, Plant Protection, Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, and Postharvest and Food Sciences. ARO also operates four research stations, in various parts of the country, and serves as a testing center for agricultural produce and equipment. Israel’s Gene Bank for Agricultural Crops is also located on the ARO Volcani Center campus.

While encompassing the full range of agricultural research activities, ARO focuses in particular on arid zone agriculture, enabling Israel – a country short of all the resources required for agriculture – to achieve among the highest levels of agricultural output in the world.

Among ARO’s areas of special expertise are:

• agriculture under arid conditions
• agriculture on marginal soils
• irrigation using effluent and saline water
• crop cultivation in protected environments
• freshwater fish farming under conditions of water shortage
• minimization of produce losses through use of latest pest control and post-harvest storage methods
• breeding and development of new strains of crops and domestic animals better suited to the adverse conditions which already exist in many parts of the world, and which are likely to become even more prevalent in the future