Agriculture

Dr. Alon Ben-Gal

Senior Researcher, Volcani Institute

Dr. Alon Ben-Gal is a senior researcher in the Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Gilat Research Center. His undergraduate degree is from the University of California, Davis, and graduate degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Ben-Gal's interest focus is self-described as: "X-treme agriculture: managing water in the arid zones". His research and expertise include: irrigation of crops; agricultural utilization of non-conventional water sources including saline water, recycled wastewater, and desalinated water; optimization of water under irrigation in arid regions; plant response to environmental stress conditions; irrigation of perennial fruit tree crops; variable rate irrigation, and flow and transport of water and solutes in the vadose zone. Alon is the author of over 180 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He enjoys active multi-disciplinary regional and multi-national collaboration on topics including agronomic, environmental, and economic considerations of irrigation with low-quality water and the promotion of agricultural water productivity.

Professor Keshavarz

Horticultural scientist (pseudonym)

Professor Keshavarz (pseudonym, due to safety concerns) is a leading horticultural scientist specializing in fruit physiology, orchard systems, and irrigation. He earned his MSc and PhD in the U.S. and has served at the University of **************, where he became a full professor. His research has significantly improved fruit quality, yield, and early market access for crops such as citrus, apples, peaches, cherries, and grapes. A global leader in orchard and vineyard design, he also developed widely used micro-irrigation guidelines for dry regions. Dr. Keshavarz has authored over ***** publications, presented extensively worldwide, and trained dozens of researchers. He has held major leadership roles, including ******, and has received numerous prestigious awards. ********