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THE CLIMATE-RESILIENT FRUIT TREE PROJECT

Preparing Israel’s Orchards for a Hotter Future

Key Metrics

Of Israel’s Cultivated Land is Used for Perennial Crops

Leading Researchers and Engineers

Specialist Disciplines: Plant Science, Climate Adaptation and Agricultural Engineering

Pioneering Research Platform Testing Mature Trees Under Controlled Climate Conditions

  • Region: Israel
  • Sector: Research
  • Status: Active

More than one third of Israel’s cultivated land is devoted to perennial crops. Orchards producing dates, pomegranates, citrus, olives and other fruits sustain farming communities, strengthen Israel’s food security and form an integral part of the country’s landscape and heritage.

But the climate these trees were planted for is changing.

Longer heatwaves, warmer winters, water stress and increasingly unpredictable seasons are disrupting flowering, fruit development and yields. Because orchards take years to establish and remain productive for decades, the varieties farmers plant today must be able to withstand the climate of tomorrow.

ReGrow is partnering with the Volcani Institute to develop a pioneering research platform that will help identify fruit-tree cultivars capable of thriving under increasingly extreme conditions.

THE MODEL

Our Three Drivers of Change

ReGrow’s model advances projects through connected Field, Innovation, and Policy drivers. The Climate Resilient Fruit Tree Project is primarily engaging the innovation driver, supporting applied agricultural research in the lab.

LEAD RESEARCHERS

Dr. Roi Ben David leads Volcani’s Agriculture under Climate Change Interdisciplinary Centre and brings nearly 30 years of agricultural research experience. His research focuses on climate-resilient crops, including the development of drought-resistant wheat strains. He holds an MSc in Field Crops from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology from the University of Haifa.

Dr. Roi Ben David, Head of Programme and Senior Researcher, Volcani Institute

Dr. Tamar Azoulay-Shemer leads the Fruit Tree Sciences Unit at Volcani’s Newe Ya’ar Research Center. Her research combines plant science, genetics and field trials to develop fruit tree varieties resilient to heat, drought and other environmental stresses. She holds a BSc and MSc in Biology from Bar-Ilan University and a PhD in Horticulture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, followed by postdoctoral research on plant responses to environmental change.

Dr. Tamar Azoulay-Shemer, Senior Researcher, Volcani Institute

Asaf Godo is a Product Development Engineer at the Volcani Institute, specialising in the development and integration of advanced agricultural technologies. With extensive experience in engineering, systems management and applied agricultural innovation, he brings the technical expertise required to design and implement the project’s research systems in real-world agricultural environments.

Asaf Godo, Senior Engineer and Project Manager, Volcani Institute

Project Snapshots

Project Reports