Volcani Institute

agricultural innovations from the Volcani Institute. Stay informed on crop science, plant protection, soil and water management, climate-resilient agriculture, agricultural biotechnology, food security, postharvest technology, precision agriculture, and sustainable farming.

The Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute is Israel’s largest agricultural research institute and a leading global center for agricultural research and innovation. It operates as an independent affiliate unit of Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and traces its origins to an agricultural experiment station established in 1921 by Yitzhak-Avigdor Elazari-Volcani.

The institute conducts research through six major institutes covering Plant Sciences, Plant Protection, Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Animal Sciences, Postharvest and Food Sciences, and Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, alongside the Gilat and Newe Ya’ar research centers. Its work spans crop breeding, irrigation, soil health, biological pest control, agricultural biotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, postharvest management, food safety, and climate adaptation.

Volcani has contributed to the development of internationally recognized agricultural varieties, including Galia melon, Barnea olive, Orri mandarin, Maya mango, and improved wheat varieties. The institute also maintains the Israeli Gene Bank and extensive living collections of agricultural crops, while its technology-transfer unit works to commercialize research through patents, plant varieties, and partnerships with industry.

Its research is increasingly focused on sustainable, climate-adapted, data-driven and precise agriculture, including improved water-use efficiency, reclaimed-water irrigation, soil-health management, environmentally friendly pest control, automation, robotics, and AI-based agricultural decision-making.

This category features Volcani Institute research, agricultural biotechnology, crop varieties, plant protection, soil health, irrigation, climate-smart agriculture, biological crop protection, precision farming, AI and robotics, postharvest technology, food security, technology commercialization, international partnerships, and global agricultural innovation.