News

A Mobile Agricultural Laboratory on Exhibit

The Mobile Laboratory was developed by Shelef Laboratories for on-site solutions in the agriculture field

In the last few decades global agricultural has advanced significantly with what can only be described as a revolution in the innovations taking place especially in developing countries. A transformation is evident as small family farms have expanded as most farmers now deal in mass agriculture.

 

The movement toward a more industrialized agriculture demands diligence in regulating the correct amount of fertilizer (precise agriculture) and protecting the crops from disease and pests. A farmer not familiar with this cutting edge technology may encounter serious damage to crops at harvest time.

 

Consequently, the escalating awareness of and demand for a decrease in hazardous pesticides and chemical fertilizers as a way ensuring a healthy environment and consumer public necessitates routine tests and inspections which are now the norm.

 

Shelef Laboratories, professionals in the inspection and examination of plants and soil samples will reveal at the international agricultural exhibition, “Agritech 2009” their completely accessorized exclusive mobile laboratory. The lab can be easily assembled on the back of a truck, container, or any vehicle towing another and can be operated to execute soil and leaf analysis as well as other tests farmers require with the ability to implement the results received in a short period of time.

 

According to Oded Yaffe, Shelef’s laboratory manager, the mobile lab is intended mainly for sales abroad whereas the distances between fields and labs are vast which hinders the results of the samples and performance of lab tests. In other words, Shelef provides the perfect innovative solution for logistic problems such as these. Until now the use of mobile labs in Israel and abroad were used to test environmental damage occurring in real time.

 

By using a mobile lab fertility tests and soil composition analysis’ can be performed immediately in order to determine the exact amount of fertilizer required for plants. In this way the over fertilization of plants, which creates water pollution, can be prevented as well as conserving the amount of water used for irrigation ultimately saving farmers money. The mobile lab allows for quick discovery and analysis of any diseases and pests that may be developing and spreading in the field and crops. In addition, the mobile lab and equipment can also be used as a “mobile classroom” for professional training for farmers and other workers.

 

The price for the mobile lab is between 200,000 and 350,000 $ (US) depending on the accessories required. The mobile lab can be upgraded from time to time in accordance with the customer’s needs.

Shelef website address: www.shelef.co.il

 

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Ground Humidity Monitoring Sensor to be displayed

There is no need to irrigate "on blind"- in Agritech, new system for monitoring the ground, humidity will be displayed. This system was developed specially for NASA for the space ship Phoenix which landed on Mars.

The most advanced sensor, which will be exhibited in Agritech 09' which was developed for NASA, can save a significant amount of water, in agriculture. It was fixed to one of the robotic arms of the space ship to identify water on the Mars.

Dan Meiri, the general manger of Agritech, said that these sensors can measure the humidity percentage precisely covering, relatively big areas. The collected data is automatically transmitted to specific website so that the software can control in real time the timing and the quantity of the irrigation. The sensor will be distributed by AGROLAN specializing in advanced technologies.

Most of the existing sensors can test only small volume of soil, the new sensor can test big volumes which will represent the entire environment of the plant.

Israel helps curb global food crisis by transferring agricultural technology

EDMONTON –

Despite a declinein oil prices and projected increase in agricultural yields,the world food crisis continues,especially in the poorest countries.But sharing knowledge can turn the tide. That was the message relayed by the Hebrew University of

Jerusalem’s Professor Ayal Kimhi, Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, at a University of Alberta (U of A) lecture on last week. The U of A Hillel organized the Israel’s Technology Transfer to Developing Countries lecture. “Even though the food crisis is an ongoing problem, transferring knowledge works and Israel is a leader in this,” said Kimhi.

“We need to be developing and transferring technologies suitable for existing conditions to improve agricultural productivity,

despite problems like knowledge gaps, inadequate infrastructures and insufficient financial resources.”

Israel is doing many agricultural technology transfers in developing countries. Some of the successful Israeli technologies transfer projects Kimhi noted are the low-pressure irrigation systems in South Africa, the aqua-culture enterprises in Uganda, the comprehensive rural development project in Angola and the dairy farms in Eastern Europe. Kimhi explained that in Angola, an Israeli company is building villages, means of production for farmers and a cooperative system. This has been so successful that there has been a big boom in that region, with a huge population growth. “In Israel, we have a foreign ministry and a ministry of agriculture working to specifically find ways for Israeli technology to help other countries,” said Kimhi. “Doing this kind of work helps to broaden people’s perception of Israel, seeing that it’s a superpower in technology, not just a land from the bible or what you see on CNN.” Israeli companies are sharing low-pressure irrigation system with developing countries, because that is what works bestthere, conveyed Kimhi. “It’s cheaper and more viable. There’s no need for the more famous drip irrigation system, which is more sophisticated and expensive.” Kimhi discussed how there is a growing demand for grain, explaining that there are two reasons for this.

First, the consumption habits of people in developing countries (like China, India, and Russia) are changing. More people are eating more meat (and each kilogram of beef requires 6-7 kilograms of grain). Second, there is an increasing demand for biological fuels.

Kimhi said this is being “stimulated by the rise of fossil fuel prices, subsidies for biological fuel production and the expansionof bio-fuel production.” Although the demand for grain is on the rise, the supply is too slow. Kimhi explained that there are many reasons for this. “The long-run causes are urbanization and land conversion, desertification and water shortage, declining agricultural

investments and slowing rates of productivity growth. The shortrun causes are climate change, natural disasters and increasing

production costs. “The anti-inflationary policy of grain-exporting countries (India, China, Russia, Argentina, Egypt, and Mexico), the declining international grain stocks, and the speculative activity in grain futures markets are why prices are high,” added Kimhi.

And with increased food prices come poverty, hunger, malnutrition, food riots and political instability. Still, Kimhi said, “there are

remedies for the food shortage, like increasing farmland use,removing agricultural protections, renewing agricultural investments through research, infrastructure and markets, andaccelerating technology transfers.”

Agritech in Mahrashtra, India

Agritech Israel 2009 was presented and promoted by Lokmat TV in Maharashtra; in Marathi. Marathi is a local language spoken by 90 million people in India and Mauritius. 

The journalists toured as part of the delgation organized by the Ministries of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Labor and the Israel Export and International Cooperation Instititute

 

Innovation

Know When To Water!

Water Stik Electronic Moisture Meter  will be presented during Agritech Israel 2009.

The Water Stick  automatically lets you know the status of your plant by using a simple LED color sequence. Protect against under watering as well as over watering. The WaterStik is a break through in soil moisture measuring technology that makes it possible to accurately monitor the water content in any indoor potted plant's soil.

Depth gauge technology allows to different plant types and  watering habits

 

 

 

                    

Thousands of guests will attend an agriculture exhibition
Agritech

Welcome to Agritech 2009!

World Food Crisis

World food crisis creates an opportunity for Israeli technologies to increase agricultural yields

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel to support Agritech 2009 and recognize it as an important event to improve Israel’s foreign relations









Conference Directory-Bvents.com

Agritech Israel 2009
Tomorrow's agriculture – today.


Israel’s agricultural sector is characterized by an intensive system of production stemming from the need to overcome the scarcity in natural resources, particularly water and arable land.
The constant growth in agricultural production is due to the close cooperation between researchers, extensionists, farmers and agriculture-related industries. These four factors develop and apply new methods in all agricultural branches. The result is modern agriculture in a country which more than half of its area is desert.

Agritech Israel is serving as a platform for the past three decades to bring together more than 7,000 foreign visitors from 115 countries to interact with leading agriculture technology companies of the world. Make use of this opportunity to

Feeding the Future

Promise of the Innovation.


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Exhibition Hours:
Tuesday - Thursday
May 5-7
10:00am -18:00pm

Exhibition Admission :
Free

























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