Israeli and Palestinian researchers have completed a five-year project to identify wheat lines capable of maintaining agricultural performance under conditions of water scarcity and a short and unstable rainy season.
Climate change is shortening the growing season and making rainfall in the Middle East more unpredictable. In response to this change, Israeli and Palestinian researchers have completed a five-year project to locate and cultivate Wheat Which is better able to cope with heat and water shortages.
The project was led by Prof. Zvi Peleg From the faculty toagriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University, in collaboration with the Al-Quds Public Health Association and with scientific support from the University of Echternach in the Netherlands. The funding, amounting to nearly 2.2 million euros, was received from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Dutch Friends of the The Hebrew University.
The researchers combined Plant care, genetics, agronomy and field trials. Their goal was to identify wheat lines that consume less water, but continue to show good agricultural performance. As part of the project, a wheat line called “Ofek” — Ufuq in Arabic — which was also chosen as an expression of a shared vision of agricultural resilience.
One of the tools the team used was a rain-stopper, which allows researchers to control the amount of water reaching plants and simulate future climate scenarios. The plants' responses to water scarcity were also characterized using a hyperspectral camera, which collects information in multiple ranges of light and allows for the detection of changes in the plant before they become visible.
According to the researchers, the task is not limited to finding a plant that survives. ShapedAn agricultural variety must also yield a crop of appropriate quantity and quality, ripen on time, and adapt to field conditions. Sometimes a trait that confers resistance to stress comes at the expense of growth rate or yield, so an examination of all traits is required.
Wheat is one of the world's most important food crops, and in many countries it is a major source of calories and protein. Rising temperatures, shorter winters, and changing rainfall patterns could hurt yields in areas already facing water shortages. Adapted wheat lines alone will not solve the climate crisis, but they can be an important component alongside improved irrigation, soil conservation, and adjusted planting dates.
The project also had a regional dimension. Scientific cooperation continued despite the political and security crisis. According to the participants, food, water and climate are challenges that do not stop at borders, and dealing with them requires the integration of knowledge and data from several regions.
The announcement does not yet present full yield data or announce the commercial distribution of “Ofek.” Therefore, it is correct to define it at this stage as a promising wheat line that is being developed and tested as part of research — and not as a commercial variety that is already available to farmers.
Questions and Answers
What is “Ofek” wheat?
Answer: A wheat line developed as part of the project and chosen for its potential to cope with heat and water shortages.
Is the wheat already available to farmers?
Answer: No information on commercial marketing. Field trials, registration, and seed propagation are required before widespread distribution.
How do you simulate drought in an experiment?
Answer: Using a device that blocks rain and allows control of the amount of water, alongside sensors and cameras to measure the plants' response.
Why is the research of regional importance?
Answer: Climatic conditions and water scarcity are common to large parts of the Middle East, so adapted varieties may help food security in the entire region.
For the original publication: [International Partnership Yields Climate-Resilient Wheat for a Hotter, Drier Middle East]
One response
I didn't understand the word, Israeli and "Palestinian" researchers? The collaboration with the "Al-Quds" association, which is an Israeli association! I understand, but the Israeli-"Palestinian" collaboration a little less, because on the surface it's about collaboration between Israelis (Jews) and Israelis (Arab-Muslims).
If it's about Israeli Arabs, hello and goodbye, but with all the good will to receive money from the Dutch for research, the distortion of reality lowers the value of the project! Which stands on its own!
I would be happy to clarify in the above context: if it is an Israeli association, registered in Israel, what is the "Palestinian" context?