|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=37720
New Agricultural Research in Israel
(Medialine) Linda Gradstein - At the Volcani Center, Israel's Agricultural Research Organization, potatoes sprayed with spearmint oil are not sprouting for months, Granny Smith apples deprived of oxygen stay fresh for over a year, and cows are eating less grain and producing more milk. Some Israeli innovations, like drip irrigation, are well-known. But others, like colored netting draped over plants to increase yields, or especially sweet seedless tangerines marketed in Europe, are less known. "In 1955, one Israeli farmer could feed 15 people, while in 2007, that same farmer could feed 100 people," said Prof. Ada Rafaeli of the Volcani Center. About one-third of food is wasted, she says, mostly because it goes bad before it can be eaten. Israel is trying to come up with solutions to make food last longer and taste better.