agricultural technology

Bananas on display in a Jerusalem market. Banana farming is one of the most stable and profitable agricultural sectors in Israel and the largest among the country's plantation-based crops. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

October 6, 2019, 5:13 pm

Banana republic: Israel faces killer fungus that can destroy the crop nationwide

Israeli researchers struggle to contain a particularly violent strain of Panama disease, a global threat that is eating its way through one of the country’s most profitable crops

By Amir Ben-David

Zenan Sumlut examines rice at the organic rice mill she now manages in Kachin, Myanmar. (Emily Fishbein/Times of Israel)

June 14, 2019, 7:00 am

Israeli agriculture courses help developing world students reap what they sow

Partnership initiatives through the Arava International Center for Agricultural Training give trainees tools to return home and launch farms and businesses in their countries

By Emily Fishbein

In this January 30, 2019 photo, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried speaks at a pre-legislative news conference, in Tallahassee, Florida. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon, File)

May 17, 2019, 8:58 am

Florida agriculture commissioner seeks tech, innovation ideas on Israel trip

Nikki Fried will visit firm that specializes in agricultural drone technology, medical marijuana companies, hydroponics farm and kibbutz with advanced dairy tech

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON

Tevel Aerobotics Technologies has developed a drone that it hopes will help farmers do labor-intensive fruit-picking (Courtesy)

April 29, 2019, 1:29 pm

Startup says time is ripe for fleets of drones to help farmers pick fruit

Israel’s Tevel develops an autonomous flying machine that can harvest fruit carefully and quickly, countering a growing shortage of farmhands

By Federico Maccioni

Avi Gilbert, left, and Menachem Simon harvest microgreen crops at Hillel Academy Jewish day school of Dayton, Ohio, March 7, 2019. (Marshall Weiss/Dayton Jewish Observer)

April 2, 2019, 11:35 pm

Ohio day school students farm microgreens through project with Israeli roots

An indoor farming initiative teaches fifth- and sixth-graders key skills, melds science with Jewish values related to food justice, and partners them with kids in the Jewish state

By Marshall Weiss

A healthy palm tree in Raanana, Israel (PlantArcBio)

November 4, 2018, 3:09 pm

New biological pesticide can kill deadly palm-eating beetle, startup says

Israel’s PlantArcBio says it has developed a pesticide with ‘100% efficacy’ to fight the deadly red palm weevil that attacks trees around the world

By Shoshanna Solomon

May 6, 2018, 2:43 pm

Alon Tal

Farewell to drip irrigation and cherry tomatoes

Such signature Israeli innovations will become fewer and further between due to shortsighted funding cuts

13-year-old Shira Futornick, center, with some of the AICAT graduates on Thursday, June 15, 2017. (Courtesy Arava)

June 20, 2017, 11:35 pm

This bat mitzvah girl raised $50,000 for Israel’s foremost environmental school

Shira Futornick launches into adulthood with a campaign to help students from developing countries learn sustainable farming at the Arava center

By Yaakov Schwartz

AclarTech's app enables users to assess quality and freshness of produce (Courtesy)

May 29, 2017, 2:25 pm

Fruit-pinching out as new app tests for freshness

With AclarTech’s sensor and database, farmers can assess and monitor quality and ripeness of produce in the field

By Shoshanna Solomon

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas poses for the family photo, during the 28th African Union summit in Addis Ababa on January 30, 2017. (AFP/ZACHARIAS ABUBEKER)

January 30, 2017, 10:47 pm

Abbas to Africa: Put Palestinian plight ahead of forging ties with Israel

Speaking at summit in Ethiopia, PA leader accuses Israel of doing all it can to undermine two-state solution

By Dov Lieber

Delegates from West Africa at an agricultural conference in Israel, December 5, 2016 (courtesy Mashav)

December 5, 2016, 12:26 pm

African ministers in Israel for first-ever agricultural summit

Top officials from 13 West African states come to Jerusalem to discuss sustainable productivity in arid and semi-arid regions

By Raphael Ahren

An EdenShield GateKeeper system (Courtesy)

April 19, 2016, 7:07 pm

Bayer to invest $10 million in Israeli ag tech fund

The international pharmaceutical giant aims to shape the future of agriculture partnering with accelerator firm

By David Shamah

Trendlines executives and board directors at the IPO of Trendlines Group in Singapore, November 12, 2015 (Courtesy)

January 27, 2016, 7:28 pm

Singapore a short-cut to China, say visiting officials

Sometimes smaller is better – and Israeli companies can find a foothold in China’s biggest markets via one of Asia’s smallest countries, says Singaporean business executives

By David Shamah

January 17, 2016, 3:03 pm

Eli Kaufman

The Divine arsenal

Mankind is perfectly capable of bringing down upon itself a slew of Egypt-like plagues; it needs no help from Above

January 15, 2016, 12:47 pm

Israeli start-up keeps bad bugs at bay, no poison needed

EdenShield’s GateKeeper kept almost 100% of crop-destroying pests out of greenhouses — without pesticides

By David Shamah