RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Agriculture Research and Development- Official Site

The diverse and widespread agriculture in Ramat Negev owes its success to the activities of the Ramat Negev R&D (Research and Development) Center – the desert agriculture experimentation center, which uses regular "Hamovil Ha'artzi" (National Water Carrier) pipelines and brackish ground water pumped from local wells.

The center is located near Ashalim, some 30 km south of Beer Sheba (average precipitation of only 90 mm per year), close to the banks of the Besor River, where two soil types meet: loess soil and sandy soil. The center's purpose is to develop cultivation, irrigation, fertilization and processing methods for different crops, and adapting crops to the area's unique ecological conditions. This is done by initiating surveys, theoretical researches and many field experiments.

The contribution of Ramat Negev R&D is expressed through the provision of various tools and knowledge for cultivation of crops in brackish water, finding qualitative and organoleptic advantages for brackish water irrigation, by developing new
breeds to grow in the region, achieving the highest quality agricultural crops, increasing the water ration for each farmer, and turning the agricultural farm into a lucrative business. Furthermore, R&D contributes to the development of sea agriculture in the region.

Research and development is performed by local researchers from scientific institutions (Ben-Gurion University, the Agricultural Research Organization – ARO, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Jewish National Fund, etc.), and professional instructors from the Department of Agriculture's training bureau.

Ramat Negev R&D has recently launched an international agro-business center for desert agriculture studies. The center's goal will be providing theoretical and practical training in advanced desert agriculture for international students from countries that have underdeveloped agriculture. This center will work in full collaboration with the students' academic institutes abroad; meeting its academic requirements will constitute an integral part of the students' degree.

Agriculture