Dr. Raphael Stern

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Dr. Raphael Stern MIGAL Northern RD Israel
Migal - Galilee Technology Center, P.O.Box 831,
Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]. E-mail raffi_at_migal.org.il
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Northern RD The Northern Research and
Development unit is the research arm of the
Israel Ministry of Agriculture in the Northern
part of Israel. Northern RD, which is located at
Migal, is responsible for planning, organizing
and implementing the agricultural research effort
in the Galilee. It is concerned with solving
current problems in agricultural production, with
the introduction of new products, and with
research investigations on which Galilees future
agricultural effort will be based. Northern RDs
main goal is to direct the agricultural branches
in the region into profitable channels.
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• Northern RD
• Objectives
• Increasing profitability and stability of
  agriculture in the Galilee region by improving
  existing crops and developing new technologies
  and crops.
• Applying and transferring techniques developed by
  Northern R D and other research institutes by
  means of model farms and active extension
  service.
• Increasing efficiency in use of fresh and treated
  water.
• Reinforcing the links between the local and
  international markets.
• Improving the general professional level of local
  farmers.
• Maintaining environmental quality.

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Northern RD Areas of activity of Northern
RD The areas of activity of Northern R D are
characterized by extreme differences of
topography and climate, and contain a wide
variety of different forms of settlement. The
area includes 9 Local and District Councils 129
agricultural villages 45,000 inhabitants 10,000
families
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Northern RD Areas of activity of Northern
RD Sub-regions and Activities A. Golan
Heights This sub-area can be divided into
three 1. Southern Golan - Field crops,
subtropical fruit citrus orchards 2. Central
Golan - Variety of orchards, open-field
flowers 3. Northern Golan - Like Highland area
(see below) All agriculture on the Golan is
advanced and conducted at a high professional
level.
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Northern RD Areas of activity of Northern RD B.
Hula Valley Generally advanced agriculture,
combining deciduous, subtropical and citrus
orchards with field crops. C. Highlands (Merom
Galil and Northern Golan) High-tech deciduous
orchards and vineyards, combined with tourism D.
Western Galilee High-tech deciduous orchards,
mushrooms, village tourism
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Main subjects of my group
Increasing fruit production of deciduous trees
(apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricot, etc.)
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A. Increasing fruit set

1. Improving pollination activity (manipulation of
   bee hives).
2. Searching the best pollenizer for each cultivar
   in each species (determine the S-allele of the
   self-incompatible gene of each cultivar in order
   to make a table of genetic fit between cultivars.

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The genetic fit between Japanese plum cultivars
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B. Incrasing fruit size
Direct methods
Study the fruit growth pattern of pome-fruit and
stone-fruit, and find a way to improve their size.
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B. Incrasing fruit size
Direct methods
Pome-fruit (apple and pear) using
CK Stone-fruit (apricot, cherry, plum and lychee)
using Auxins
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B. Incrasing fruit size
Indirect methods
Thinning reduce the crop load to receive less
fruit but with larger size.
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B. Incrasing fruit size
Indirect methods
Pome-fruit Thinning flowers and fruitlet by
Auxins. Stone-fruit Inhibiting differentiation
to flowers, about 9 month before
flowering-season, using Gibberellins.
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C. Inhibiting preharvest fruit drop
Inhibiting preharvest fruit drop of apple and
lychee, using Auxins.