Over the years, the binational foundation has invested approximately $315 million in approximately 1200 agricultural infrastructure studies, which have led to a direct and real impact on agricultural development in the US and Israel * Among the research areas that the foundation supports - genetic and molecular research in plants, genetic research in animals, animal health Life, agricultural produce, quality and quantity, plant protection, dealing with pests, soil and water sciences, agricultural engineering
The BARD Foundation, the bi-national foundation for agricultural research and development of the United States and Israel, is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. The purpose of the fund is to encourage and promote joint innovative research by scientists from Israel and the USA, and to support them out of a desire to foster breakthrough innovation and progress in the field of research, food production and agricultural development for the benefit of both countries.
Throughout its 40 years of activity, the foundation has invested over 315 million dollars in infrastructural and applied research to promote agriculture in both countries. Each year, the foundation funds infrastructural research and applications in the amount of $7 million equally between the two countries. More than 1200 agricultural infrastructure studies were invested, which led to a direct and real impact on agricultural development in the US and Israel.
Over the years, the BARD Foundation has maintained its position as the flagship of excellence in scientific development in the agricultural field, thanks to strict screening and selection processes, and thanks to the use of an effective methodology that serves as a model for imitation in the field of funding bi-national competitive research.
Among the foundation's achievements over the years are the development of a new and sweet tomato variety, the extension of the shelf life of mangoes, the production of more tomato ketchup, the production of more cotton with less water, the utilization of waste from fish farming and the recycling of water for further cultivation, the cultivation of basil without chemicals and quite a few other achievements, already marketed in the commercial world and used as tools in the field of agriculture and biotech. The produce led to huge revenues for the country, saving resources, and contributing to the protection of the environment.
Prof. Yoram Kapolnik, CEO of the BARD Foundation: Forty years of initiative and binational activity is further proof of the close strategic relationship between the US and Israel, and I am convinced that this relationship will continue to provide the industry with products of real added value for the industry. We are proud of the benchmarks of The activity of the fund during the years of activity, the efficiency of its decision-making and the social, environmental-agricultural and economic transformations for the benefit of both countries." While the immediate stakeholders of the research supported by the BARD Foundation are the scientific community, an external review found that more than 80% of the researchers who won the grant established relationships with stakeholders outside the academic field. The researchers expanded BARD's circle of influence to the agro-tech industry, government bodies, farmers, venture capital funds and non-profits and third sector organizations.
The areas of research supported by the Bard Foundation - genetic and molecular research in plants, genetic research in animals, animal health, agricultural produce quality and quantity, plant protection and dealing with pests, soil and water sciences, environment, agricultural engineering. Among the research products - 200 new agricultural technologies were developed and 100 series of patents and cultivator rights thanks to the foundation's support.
Examples of success stories of the BARD Foundation (for the full report)
- A new and sweet tomato variety - (research funding from the BARD Foundation - 1.32 million dollars) Leading researchers: Ari Shaffer (Volcanic Institute), Mason Pharr (University of North Carolina), Alan Bennett (University of Davis in California). The purpose of the research: This research aims to enhance the sweetness and aroma that have diminished over the years, and to produce a cherry type tomato with an improved texture, aroma and taste. As a result of this effort, 5 cherry-type tomato varieties were developed whose flavor is visibly improved and longer than the original varieties. The most prominent of them that came to the market is called Nebula. The new variety entered the market in 2015 and is now grown mainly in Europe, Canada and the state of California in the USA.
- get more ketchup from the tomato - (Research funding from the BARD Foundation-$1.05 million) Leading researchers: (Hebrew University) Danny Zamir, winner of the 2020 Israel Prize for Agriculture, (Cornell University) Steve Tanksley. Research goals: to identify molecular markers in the genome of the wild tomato that are linked to quantitative traits To determine the content of soluble solids, sugar, high yield and other benefits for tomatoes intended for industry. As part of the research, innovative tools developed included molecular markers for genetic mapping as well as the creation of a series of unique tomato lines (introgression lines), which are an important tool for genetic and applied research in plants. These tools made it possible to decipher the genetic-molecular basis of quantitative traits and complex genetic interactions. A number of industrial tomato varieties have been developed and the leading among them - make up about 80% of the market share in California of "high viscosity tomatoes" intended for the ketchup industry.
- Extending the shelf life of the mango - (Research funding from the BARD Foundation - 1.6 million dollars) The leading researchers: (Volcanic Institute) Dov Prosky, (University of Florida) Jeffrey Rollins, (University of Kentucky) Lisa Vaillancourt, (University of Purdue) Tesfaya Mengiste. The purpose of the research: development of methodologies that will help in reducing the loss of the fruit due to fungal diseases after the harvest by deciphering a path from the signal trace (signals) involved in the awakening of the spores of the fungus from its "quiet" state. As part of the research, a unique acid treatment was developed for the treatment of agricultural produce after harvest. The treatment inhibits the emergence of pathogenic fungi and thus helps to reduce the loss of the fruit and eliminates the need to use chemical preparations to achieve a long shelf life. This method of treatment helps in the treatment of the pathology of storage diseases in subtropical fruits, including mangoes and avocados, and is currently applied in Israel and Mexico.
- Growing basil without chemicals- Research funding from the BARD Foundation - $300,000). Researchers: (Bar Ilan University) Yigal Cohen, (Rutges University) James Simon. The purpose of the research: development and breeding of a basil line resistant to wilt without the use of chemicals, in order to protect the crop from diseases and economic loss caused to the growers due to this disease. With the help of molecular tools genetic identification was carried out, which paved the way to develop a new and resistant basil variety. The genetic sequencing conducted for the resistant variety helped in mapping additional properties of the basil, including the aroma and oil content.
- More cotton with less water - Research funding from the BARD Foundation - $180,000. Leading researchers: (Hebrew University in Jerusalem) Avishalom Marani, (US Department of Agriculture) Donald Baker. The purpose of the study: to evaluate the quantitative effects of waterlogging on the process and rate of photosynthesis in cotton plants and to integrate the information in a dynamic simulation model that will help manage the irrigation of cotton crops wherever they are. The research developed the GOSSYM-COMAX model, a model for predicting and simulating cotton growth depending on growing conditions. Since its development and introduction to the market in the 90s, the model has been used by hundreds of cotton growers all over the world and has helped farmers make decisions regarding the efficient use of land and water resources while maximizing profit and reducing risks. Although the original format model in which it was developed is not used today, this model was used as an infrastructure for establishing systems for the optimization of cotton crops that are currently used by researchers, farmers and regulatory decision makers in the field of agriculture.
- Development of fish farming systems on land using the system's waste for energy production - Research funding from the BARD Foundation - $590,000. The leading researchers: (Ben Gurion University) Amit Gross, (University of Maryland) Kevin Sowers. Research goal: Sustainable development of a method of treating the waste generated while growing the fish in a closed system of brackish water and cleaning the water from disease-causing agents for the re-integration of the water into the growing system.
The integration of the technologies developed in this research into commercial systems for growing fish on land improves the efficiency of the systems both economically by reducing operating costs, and by preventing damage to the environment. As a result, an increasing use of this breeding method is expected. The study also found that it is possible to safely recycle water from a super-intensive marine fish breeding unit with minimal risk of an outbreak of infectious diseases and the production of energy used to maintain the facility. - Improving the health and durability of tilapia fish - Research funding from the BARD Foundation $455,000. Leading researchers: (Columbia University) Ian Lipkin, (Tel Aviv University) Eran Bacharach. The purpose of the study: a mysterious disease that killed tilapia fish in Israel, mainly in the Sea of Galilee, prompted researchers to clarify the cause of this inexplicable loss of fish in the wild but also in agricultural farming systems in Israel. The nutritional security of millions of people in developing countries depends on freshwater agriculture, including tilapia fish. After ruling out parasites and diseases already known to science, the American-Israeli research collaboration was founded in order to find the cause of the new disease and ways to reduce further morbidity. Research results: It was found that the cause of the disease is a new viral agent Tilapia lake virus (TiLV). The TiLV virus was isolated and molecularly identified and since then, has been identified in a number of similar scenarios around the world. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated the distribution of information, the promotion of diagnostic tools to diagnose the disease, and assistance in preventing the spread of the disease in different parts of the world. The spread of TiLV has a global impact in both commercial settings and ecosystems. The global trade in tilapia fish has a huge economic impact as an industry that brings in about 4.5 million tons of product and about 7.5 billion dollars a year. This industry is a major employer in China, Egypt, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and Honduras, with the United States being the world's leading importer of this species. Tilapia also contributes to ecosystems by actually consuming algae and mosquitoes as food in a freshwater mikvah, thus keeping them contained in natural habitats.
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