Our Story
Pioneers of Wheat Science in Israel
Dr. Jacob Ephrat (1912-1977)
Winter Cereal Breeder
He developed leading bread wheat cultivars, including Lakish and Miriam in the 1970s, as well as the durum wheat variety Inbar. He served as head of the Field Crops and Forage Department and was awarded the Israel Prize for Agriculture in 1977 for his pioneering contributions to wheat breeding in Israel.
Dr. Z. Gerechter-Amitai (1924-1998)
Phytopathologist
He made seminal contributions to the study of wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides) in Israel, highlighting its significance for wheat improvement. Notably, he identified the Yr15 resistance gene to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) within the wild emmer gene pool (Gerechter-Amitai et al., 1989).
Dr. Avraham Blum (1934-2018)
Plant Physiologist
He pioneered research on tolerance to abiotic stress in cereals, with a focus on stress physiology at the whole-crop level. His studies encompassed sorghum, wheat, and rice, and his work established foundational knowledge that continues to guide plant stress research worldwide.
Dr. Uri Kushnir (1944-present)
Winter Cereal Breeder
He developed multiple bread wheat cultivars (Bar-Nir, Ruta, Benyamin, and Tishrey) and durum wheat varieties (Gvati and Uzan). He served as head of the Field Crops and Forage Department and later as head of the Seed Laboratory, advancing cereal breeding and seed technology in Israel.