Israel is a global leader in advanced technologies and agricultural solutions. Since, its independence Israel has overcome obstacles like water scarcity and limited land through constant innovation and enhanced technology. An outstanding system of agricultural research and development has yielded brilliant results for Israeli farmers. Israel has been sharing its exclusive breakthroughs with other countries. India has partnered with Israel to augment a growing demand for agricultural products. It is believed that by 2045 India will be the most populous Country in the World. Hence, Land availability will be a big issue in India. In 2008 governments of India and Israel launched a joint project that is intended to increase the farmer’s yield and produce better quality crops. The main objective is to discover new horticultural avenues while at the same time optimizing the use of resources. The project is being directed towards addressing issues related to food security and sustainable livelihoods for farmers. The key enablers of this project are the government of India, State Government of India, Embassy of Israel in India and MASHAV (Israel’s agency for International Development
Strategic Planning
The areas where the joint project is being executed are strategically located across the Country. The Indo- Israeli centers of excellence are the main modalities of this partnership. The centers are divided into a number of key segments. Each center is a focal point for the local farmer communities. The segments are dispersed for R&D and production of the following crops: Mango, Vegetables, Citrus, Pomegranates, Dates, Flowers, Beekeeping and Dairy. Each center is a focal point for the Local farmer communities. In these centers Israeli experts work with their Indian counterparts to adapt Israeli technology to local requirements. The centers are built on three pillars:
Nursery management
Israeli standard hi-tech nurseries are set up for intensive production of healthy and high quality seedlings. These production processes incorporate climate control solutions, introduction of new varieties and root stalk grafting.
Micro Irrigation
Micro irrigation is a revolutionary technology invented in Israel in 1960’s enabled thriving agriculture under arid climate and acute shortage of water technologies. Today, this technology is being adapted to suit conditions in India. Drip irrigation at the centers of excellence demonstrates best practice of system installation, efficient Water management and fertigation.
Canopy Management
The focus is on intensification of plants, pruning techniques followed by pest and disease control strategies. One of the key rules of the centers of excellence is generating applied research. The centers showcase a range of protected cultivation technologies: from hi-tech nurseries, naturally ventilated body houses, walk-in-tunnels and net houses. By, prolonging the growing season and reducing pesticide consumption protected cultivation substantially increases crop yields and thereby farmers profits.
Objectives of the Project
India and Israel have enjoyed a significant relationship of international strategic co-operation since, the early 1990’s. Israel is a World leader in several technological fronts such as Water, telecoms, IT, agriculture and Defence. India and Israel had signed an agreement of
co-operation in 2006. This evolved into Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP), implemented by MIDH (Mission for integrated development of horticulture). The main goals of MASHAV are: Increasing crop diversity, increasing crop production, increasing resource use efficiency
Within this framework, the State of Israel is contributing its best-practices and knowhow, and provides capacity building through professional training programs by MASHAV, conducted both in Israel and in India. To achieve the goals of the cooperation agreement, it was decided to establish “Agricultural Centres of Excellence” (CoE), funded by both the Federal Government NHM and by individual State Governments, that are also responsible to allocate land and professional manpower.
India is presently in the midst of its second “Green Revolution”. During the first “Green Revolution”, India achieved self-sufficiency in the supply of food grains, an extraordinary achievement of its agricultural sector. While dealing with a high rate of population increase, the issue of food security has become crucial, leading the country to a compelling need to find alternative ways to feed its 1.2 billion people. The first goal of the present “Green Revolution” is the transition towards sustainable agriculture, including implementing agricultural production practices which take into consideration the protection of natural resources and the environment; effective utilization of water resources and the reduction of harmful pesticides. The second goal is diversification — by diversifying the food basket, the population will benefit from a larger supply of fruits and vegetables, a primary source of essential minerals and vitamins. The important task of achieving this challenge was entrusted to India’s National Horticulture Mission (NHM). Throughout the years the State of Israel developed unique expertise and approaches to sustainable agricultural and rural development under semi-arid and arid climatic conditions. The management of limited natural resources is conducted by the integration of appropriate agro technologies, water and irrigation, R&D, and agricultural extension services. Based on these achievements, NHM chose Israel as a partner to promote the goals of the Indian “Green Revolution”.
The research until now has underscored the workings of the centers of excellence rather briefly. The following part will focus entirely on the various processes that have gone into making MAHSAV a successful and adaptable model of the future.
Applied Research
On the ground applied research provides insights to the farmers. Knowledge gathering about local fruits and vegetables varieties to find the best performing solution in the given climatic conditions helps in evaluating the information and coming up with solutions. Seed production companies are requested to bring their commercial varieties for a comparative test at the Centre which includes parameters such as yield, quality, and tolerance to
diseases. The Centre will recommend the best performing varieties for use by the farmers. Another aspect of the applied research is to analyze the efficiency of plant protection products and to adapt advanced technologies to local conditions, pruning periods, fertilization and irrigation. The central and most important commercial and professional activity of the Centers of Excellence is the production of high-quality, healthy, virus and pest-free saplings and plug seedlings. A high quality seedling is a base for a healthy plant and high yield.
Field Extension — SMS
Field extension service is the linking element between the applied research and the farmers. It is carried out by government extension officers. It has two purposes: a) disseminate knowledge and b) to make sure that the new technologies are assimilated. This can be seen, for example, in the case of micro-irrigation: the knowledge about the use of technology and hardware will be imparted and demonstrated by training at the Centres; later on, the specialists’ follow-up with the farmers in the field to see if the technology is being properly utilized and taken care of.
Progressive Farmers
Progressive farmers are the ones who have successfully understood and implemented the techniques. They are an important part of the process of knowledge transfer. They set examples and act as role models for rest of the other farmers.
Implementation by collaboration of an Israeli expert and Indian field officer
It was found feasible to arrange the Centers up of new Centers (tenders, field preparations, construction, etc.). Together with the Israeli expert counterpart, each head of cluster is also responsible for organizing the cluster’s seminars and for adapting Israeli technology to existing local needs, which may greatly vary from one Centre to another.
Technologies and Best Practices that have benefited India and were previously non- existent or rarely practiced are the following: Protected cultivation, starting with simple solutions such as tunnels, walking tunnels, and up to advanced solutions such as net-houses. Open field cultivation which includes mulching and the use of other methods of plasticulture. Lastly, Computerized irrigation and fertigation (fertilizers + irrigation) technologies including utilization of green energy.
of Excellence in clusters — vegetables, mangoes, pomegranates and citrus. Each cluster is headed by an Indian expert, who is usually the one who runs the most advanced Centre in the cluster. The head of a cluster has a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of the project, for example: providing professional guidance to other project officers in cultivation, but also by being in charge of every step during the set-
Mashav- Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was founded in 1957
Successful Vegetable Farming in Karnal, Haryana
The Gharaunda centre of excellence was the first one to be established under the framework of the Indo- Israeli cooperation agreement. It serves as a model establishment for other centres. The project has been developed as a plant nursery which produces lakhs (hundreds of thousands) of vegetable seedlings annually, utilizing plug-seedling technology (young plants grown in small, individual cells, ready to be transplanted into containers or a field).
The seedlings include hybrid seeds of tomatoes, cherry-tomatoes, bell-peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, chili peppers, and more. Each year, several hybrid seeds of domestic and international commercial companies are tested in the Centre. The nursery has the capacity to produce grafted vegetables, the latest technological advancement in the field, which allows growing vegetables in soil bourn diseased as well as those infected by nematodes (microscopic worms). The use of Israeli know-how and assistance has resulted in the following improvements in agricultural yield of this specific project. Around 2000 farmers have visited the nursery since its inception. There has been a reported increased yield of 4 to 5 times.
Crop
Open Field
(Kg/acre)
Protected cultivation
(Kg/acre)
Tomato
16,000
96,000
Bell-Pepper
Cannot be cultivated in open field
72,000
Cucumber
3,500
45,000
Capsicum
12,000
72,000
In addition to increase in the yield of crops, there was a 65% reduction in water use.
Crop
Open Field (Rp/ Acre)
Protected Cultivation (RP/Acre)
Use of pesticides
45,000
10,000
Use of fertilizers
25,000
12,000
A Mango Success story (Daopali, Maharshtra)
Daopali a major mango producing district of Maharashtra that suffered from infertile soil problems for years. Through Mashav’s assistance it has been possible to rejuvenate- mango orchards at the centre of excellence. At the centre 20 to 60 year old, 12 metre high trees have undergone a special process of rejuvenation. In this process, saplings are planted
between mango trees. This practice increases the density from 100 trees per hectare to 400 trees per hectare. This technique has resulted in significant crop yield increase with better fruit quality. Just two years of treatment with this technique has resulted heavier, brighter, better quality mangoes with significantly lesser post-harvest losses.
Mango Rejuvenation
Before
After
Density
100 trees/ hectare
400 trees/ hectare
Yield
1500 kg/ hectare
After -1 year
1500 kg/ hectare
After- 3 years
4500–5000 kg/ hectare
Saline water and calcareous soils tolerant-rootstocks were especially brought from Israel to allow growing mangoes also in areas where there is a problem of salinity. This is a breakthrough in mango cultivation which is a result of joint collaboration in applied research. The technology that had been used in Israel was modified to the local climatic conditions by Dapoli’s experts.
Conclusion
Israel leads the world in innovation related to water technology, Agriculture and telecommunications. Israel has a longstanding tradition of research and development in its universities. After the setting up of official diplomatic relations between India and Israel since 1991, the two countries have co-operated in building space and defense systems. Agricultural co-operation would enable Indian farmers to adopt proven Israeli best practices, developed through scientific research and use of advanced technology. As it has already been seen that farm yields under MASHAV’s guidance has increased almost fourfold in most projects. A further integration of Israeli telecommunications and IT into the burgeoning Indian agricultural infrastructure can lead to inclusivity and development of farmer networks. There is a lot of potential in the non-farm activates like telecom, IT and crisis management where Israeli co-operation would better the situation of the Indian agricultural scenario.
