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June 2024

 

From the Director
As I write this, we are still at war for the future of the State of Israel. During the war, we have managed to continue a routine of research and studies, but we must always remember that there are soldiers who make this routine possible for us. This week, we were also informed that Noa Argamani, a BGU student, who was held hostage in Gaza, was rescued through a military operation. I hope for the quick return home of all the hostages.
I would like to congratulate Dr. Tarin Paz-Kagan, Prof. Dina Zilberg, and Prof. Inna Khozin-Goldberg on winning the competitive BARD research grant. Tarin won, for the first time in the history of the fund, with a double budget in the Pioneer track. Since the Ministry of Agriculture will not issue a call this year, it is very important to submit an application to BARD, and there are still three months until the next submission deadline. The Sol Leshin Foundation, which finances joint research with UCLA, also issued a call, whose deadline is the middle of September. Since its success rates are very high, I encourage you all to send a research proposal to this fund.
I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Prof. Shimon Rachmilevitch for his appointment to the position of Director of BGU’s School of Sustainability and Climate Change. This new school includes about 150 researchers in various environmental fields. I very much hope and believe that Shimon will succeed in promoting the school’s vision. It should be noted that the school constantly issues funding calls for researchers and students. One of the goals of these calls is to increase interdisciplinary collaborations.
Best,
Naftali

Manuscript of the Month

 

Sulfur oxidation and reduction are coupled to nitrogen fixation in the roots of the salt marsh foundation plant Spartina alterniflora.

 Rolando, J. L., Kolton, M., Song, T., Liu, Y., Pinamang, P., Conrad, R., Morris, J. T. Konstantinidis, K. T., & Kostka, J. E.

Humans and plants rely on tiny microbial residents in their tissues for health, immunity, metabolism, and nutrient uptake. However, while it is well-known that microbes drive nutrient cycles, there is limited understanding of the microbial role in ecosystem functioning. Our previous studies have shown that the root zone of the coastal marine plant Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) is a hotspot for the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Some of these bacteria are chemoautotrophs capable of oxidizing the plant toxin sulfide and using the generated energy to fuel the uptake of carbon dioxide to make their own organic carbon for growth. This study used a combination of metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and pangenomic analyses to assess the contribution of different sulfur bacteria in the coastal nitrogen cycle and plant health. We recovered the genomes of diazotrophic sulfate-reducing and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The dominant sulfur-oxidizing bacteria taxonomically affiliated with the Candidatus Thiodiazotropha genus encode and highly express genes for carbon fixation (RuBisCO), nitrogen fixation (nifHDK), and sulfur oxidation (oxidative-dsrAB). We propose that the symbiosis between S. alterniflora and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria helps to detoxify the sulfide, enhancing plant health and resilience, and is key to the ecosystem functioning of coastal salt marshes.
Full Article

 

 

Meet the Student: Iaroslav Grozdov

 

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My name is Iaroslav Grozdov, and Iam originally from Moscow, Russia. I hold a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in environmental management. I also pursued a PhD in cartography, focusing on remote sensing to assess geochemical pollution in soils. Initially, I planned to make aliyah after completing my PhD, but due to the geopolitical situation in Russia, I had to interrupt my studies and move to Israel with my family, including my wife and daughter. Currently, I am a PhD student at BGU, working under the supervision of Dr.Tarin Paz-Kagan. My research focuses on precision nitrogen management in avocado orchards. I aim to assess tree conditions using remote sensing and develop models for precise fertilization, yield and fruit quality forecasting. My work involves both field surveys and analytical lab work. During field surveys, we conduct UAV flights, take field measurements, and sample leaves and fruits. The rest of the time, I analyze collected data, process samples, and develop machine learning models based on the remote sensing data.
I find great satisfaction in knowing that my research can address practical problems and contribute to more sustainable agriculture. My future goal is to continue my career in academia and pursue more intriguing research projects.
Outside of my research, I enjoy DIY projects with my colleagues Tamir and Vlad, traveling around Israel, and learning about Jewish culture and history.

 

Projects, Prizes, and Fellowships

 

Koshland Fund

Title: Identifying the genetic mechanisms and physiological responses of wheat to carbamazepine in reclaimed irrigation water using machine-learning approaches.
Team: Gilad Gabay, FAAB and Tuvia Turkeltaub, ZIWR. 
Abstract:
In the Negev and other arid regions, reclaimed water usage has dramatically increased over the last decade. Therefore, understanding the possible effects of chemical residues in irrigation water on crops is critical. The genetic and machine learning tools proposed in our research will enhance crop productivity under these irrigation regimes.

Title: Do parasitoid wasps use olfactory cues for host detection and discrimination? The case of the invasive brown widow spider Latrodectus geometricus and its egg sac parasitoid Philolema latrodecti.
Team: Vered Tzin, FAAB, and  Michal Segoli, SIDEER.
Abstract:
The brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus, is an invasive species, that probably originated in southern Africa, and is spreading globally. In the invaded range, the brown widow has reached high densities and has often outcompeted related spider species. Suggested reasons for their success include high fecundity, dispersal ability, adaptation to human-inhabited areas, and life history in the city. We hypothesize that ecological interactions, specifically interactions with egg sac parasitoids, further promote the rapid establishment and spread of this spider.

Title: Sensing the soil: a novel, affordable, real-time CO2 monitoring system for dryland environmental research
Team: Nurit Agam, FAAB, and Elad Levintal, ZIWR.  
Second year.


BARD

Title: Creation and validation of a digital twin model for improving almond production
Team: Tarin Paz-Kagan, BGU, Lizhi Wang, Oklahoma State University, Patrick Brown, UC, Davis, Or Sperling, ARO, and Shahar Baram, ARO.
Abstract:
Accurate yield prediction is important for tree growers to optimize resources and implement management strategies. Yet, predicting yield, especially in deciduous trees (e.g., almonds), is challenging since they are complex organisms in which genetics and environmental factors interact with plant physiology over multiple seasons. Our project objective is to propose an innovative avenue to interpret, predict, and improve almond yield production by creating and validating a digital twin (DT) model through field experiments on almonds. A DT refers to a virtual representation of a physical or biological object or process that can gather data from the real environment. A key innovation of the proposed DT model is its capability to combine the strengths and overcome the limitations of crop models and machine learning (ML) for crop yield prediction. The DT model consists of a new crop model, completely redesigned to be compatible with the ML paradigm's data-driven (rather than traditionally experiment-driven) training process. Its training algorithms are structured to ensure that all model parameters are explainable within the framework of tree physiology.


Title: From agricultural waste to resource: expanding the reuse of plant waste through BSFL for fish and crop production 
Team: Dina Zilberg, BGU, Nicholas P. Romano,Virginia State University , Siggi Peno-Winters, R&D, Inna Khozin-Goldberg, BGU, Sanjun Gu,Virginia State University , Meidad Kissinger, BGU.
Abstract:
The project proposes to utilize plant waste from agriculture for the production of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), which have high lipid and high protein content. BSFL and their waste material can be utilized for a range of applications: as a feed ingredient for fish, for disease control and for fertilization. All of these are planned to be addressed in our research.


BGN

Title: Boosting Water Stress Resilience in Essential Crop Varieties 
Team: Moshe Sagi’s Lab, FAAB.
Abstract:  
We have identified key genes crucial for mitigating drought-induced stress, and by targeted genetic modifications, we have successfully engineered model plants with significantly improved drought tolerance: a desired trait that holds promise for higher yields and increased sustainability in agriculture. The goal is to develop a tool to enhance drought resistance in commercially valuable crops like tomatoes. This development will contribute to developing more robust and productive varieties that can thrive in challenging environmental conditions.


ICL: Applied Agronomy Open Innovation Application

Title: Digital twin for optimizing chemical applications in agriculture: reducing the development period of new fertilizers
Team: Naftali Lazarovitch, FAAB.
Abstract: 
The main objective of this study is the development and testing of a Decision Support System (DSS) to optimize fertilizer input to shorten the development cycles of various fertilizers for broadcast and in-furrow applications, and fertigation. This is accomplished using a multilevel approach, whose outcome is a general-purpose model that provides a computationally efficient, mechanistically based, and experimentally validated assessment of the environmental impact of different chemical application strategies on irrigated and rainfed agricultural areas.


BCSC Postdoctoral Fellowship Recipients:
Babita Choudhary, supervised by Moshe Sagi, FAAB.
Manikandan Arumugam, supervised by Dina Zilberg, FAAB.

Kreitman School Postdoctoral Fellowship Recipient:
Soundarya Rajapitamahuni, supervised by Nina Kamennaya, FAAB.

STEM Scholarship Recipients:
Ph.D.students May Barani Maung and Naw Than Than Aye, supervised by Nina Kamennaya, FAAB.
 
Interdisciplinary Scholarship Recipient:
M.Sc. student Sanjana Sarode, supervised by Oz Kira, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, BGU, and Vered Tzin, FAAB.

 

The 34th Prof. Michael Evenari Symposium: Water and Nutrient Dynamics in the Soil-Plant- Atmosphere Continuum

 

 The Evenari Symposium is an annual gathering of plant and agriculture scientists and those who would like to learn more about these subjects. This year's program was dedicated to the late Prof. Jiftah Ben-Asher, one of the first academic members of the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research. Prof. Ben-Asher was also the founder and head of the Katif Research and Development Center, originally located in the Gaza Strip. This year’s symposium  highlighted research in the areas of irrigation, fertilization, remote sensing, modelling, and other topics, presented by colleagues of Prof. Ben-Asher who collaborated with him throughout the years, as well as early career scientists who work on similar topics. The symposium was held in collaboration with the DesertTech National Knowledge Center.
The symposium took place on May 29, 2024, in the BIDR’s George Evens Family Auditorium. Approximately 160 researchers and students participated in the conference, and it was a successful event.

 

 

54th BGU Board of Governors Meeting, 2024

 

 Last month, the annual meeting of BGU’s Board of Governors was held over several days in which we shared with friends of the university from all over the world our achievements as well as the challenges facing the university. Part of the event took place at the Sde Boker Campus, and our researchers were a significant part of the program. Below are the lectures and activities given by the institute's researchers:
Dina Zilberg: Sustainable solutions for fish production in land-based aquaculture.
Aaron Fait: A pinch of salt in a glass of wine: making viticulture sustainable without impairing wine quality.
BGU Radio Live!: BGU researchers discussed humanity’s most pressing issues on-air
Hosted by: Prof.Simon Barak and Dr. Buzi Raviv.

 

 

Conference Participation

 

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International Society of Root Research 12th International Symposium, 2–7 June 2024, Leipzig, Germany.

Summary by conference participant Sharon Chemweno, Ph.D. student in the FAAB
Attending the 12th International Society of Root Research symposium in Germany was an incredible and enriching experience. It was a remarkable opportunity to present my research (Nitrogen Optimization using Root Phenotyping), alongside fellow BGU students and my supervisor, on a global platform. I appreciated the chance to learn and network with leading experts in root research, as well as gaining invaluable insights into the latest trends in plant root activities and rhizosphere interactions. I am indeed grateful to BGU and my amazing supervisors (Prof. Naftali Lazarovitch and Prof. Johnathan Ephrath) for making this valuable opportunity possible!

 

IUSS Centennial Celebration and Congress, May 19-21, 2024, Florence, Italy
IUSS Centennial Celebration and Congress, May 19-21, 2024, Florence, Italy
Quantification and partitioning of the contribution of abiotic and biotic processes to soil n-oxides emissions in the Dead Sea Valley, Israel.
I. Gelfand, I. Yagle.

 

The Max Planck Israel Program

 

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 Ph.D. student Let Kho Hao, supervised by Vered Tzin, received an award from the Max Planck Israel Program. This program was established to support Israel's scientific community during the crisis following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. This program, built on the strong scientific ties between the Max Planck Society and the Weizmann Institute, aims to prevent young talents from leaving the field of science and to encourage their early return to research in Israel. Additionally, the program serves as an expression of solidarity and moral support for Israeli researchers.
Research title: Identification of O-methyltransferase (OMT) genes involved in wheat benzoxazinoid biosynthesis and in vitro characterization of their enzymatic activities
Duration: 3 months (May-July).

More details about the program

 

Congratulations and Best Wishes

 


Prof. Ilya Gelfand was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor and received tenure in our institute. 



 

From the Press

 

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IDSAI Talk: Biology and Environment:
An Interview with Prof. Naftali Lazarovitch
Click to view

 

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Prof. Shimon Rachmilevitch in Ynet (in Hebrew)
Read more

 

Institute Manuscripts, March –June 2024

 

FAAB researchers published a total of 13 manuscripts from March-June 2024.

 

Previous Newsletters

 

Editor: Sigalit Cohen
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