Asher D Bar-Tal

• Agricultural Research Organization ARO

The application of compost increases soil organic matter (SOM) content; however, there is a lack of information on the short‐ and long‐term effects of compost application on the dynamics of labile SOM pools in compost‐amended soils in semiarid region. The goal of this study is to distinguish between parameters that can be used for investigating the...

Treated wastewater (TWW, i.e., treated effluents) is a growing water source. However, irrigation with TWW irrigation exacerbates oxygen deficiencies in the root zone, particularly in clayey soils. Coarse-textured filled trenches are used to ameliorate soil oxygen deficiencies in agriculture. This study aimed to investigate the impact of scoria-fill...

Biostimulants (Bio-effectors, BEs) comprise plant growth-promoting microorganisms and active natural substances that promote plant nutrient-acquisition, stress resilience, growth, crop quality and yield. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of BEs, particularly under field conditions, appears highly variable and poorly quantified. Using random model me...

Evaluation of soil sustainability should take into account chemical and mineralogical changes due to cultivation. Potassium (K) application is a key farming practice that may potentially affect phyllosilicate composition and soil properties. Irrigation is another agent that affects soil composition. This study aims to evaluate the imprints of culti...

Recent studies have shown that long-term irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW 1) can lead to land degradation and reduction of crop performance in clayey soils due to additions of salts and organic compounds. This study investigated the effects of two remediation and two mitigation methods intended to alleviate the damage to soil properties foll...

Organic amendment, and especially the use of composts, is a well-accepted sustainable agricultural practice. Compost increases soil carbon and microbial biomass, changes enzymatic activity, and enriches soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. However, relatively little is known about the immediate and long-term temporal dynamics of agricultural soil micro...

The appropriate soil pH for blueberry production is <5.5. However, the exact factors involved in the retardation of blueberry growth at higher pH levels have not yet been completely identified. In this study, we examined the short- and long-term combined effects of pH level and Ca concentrations on root morphology and development in relation to blu...

Organic amendment, and especially the use of composts, is a well-accepted sustainable agricultural practice. Compost increases soil carbon and microbial biomass, changes enzymatic activity, and enriches soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. However, relatively little is known about the immediate and long-term temporal dynamics of agricultural soil micro...

Hydroponics is a farming technique for growing plants with mineral nutrients using a soil-free medium. The plant roots are submerged in soil-free media, such as vermiculite or perlite, or just in mineral nutrient solutions. This allows for high production yields throughout the year with less water and agro-chemical inputs. Consequently, hydroponics...

Elevated [CO2] (e[CO2]) often increases biomass and yield in C3 plants due to an increase in photosynthesis and a decrease in photorespiration. There are two phenomena which limit the positive impact of e[CO2] on crop yield and quality, which will be considered in this review. They are: (a) photosynthetic acclimation to e[CO2] (PAC) and (b) E[CO2]...

Static chambers are commonly used to provide in situ quantification of nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes. Despite their benefits, when left in the field, the physicochemical conditions inside the chamber's base may differ from the ambient, especially in drip-irrigated systems. This research aimed to study the effects of static chamber bases on water and N...

Sulfur is an essential mineral in human nutrition, involved in vital biochemical processes. Sulfur deficient soil is becoming a severe issue, resulting from increased agricultural production and decreased sulfur emissions. Tomato cultivation using sulfur-poor soils and desalinated water is becoming widespread, and might result in plant and fruit su...

Static chambers are commonly used to provide in-situ quantification of N2O fluxes. Despite their benefits, when left in the field, the physicochemical conditions inside the chamber's base may differ from the ambient, especially in drip-irrigated systems. This research aimed to study the effects of static chambers' bases on water and N-forms distrib...

Israel stretches along a climatic gradient, ranging from sub-humid Mediterranean in the North to hyper-arid in the South (Dan, 1983). The parent materials are mostly carbonate rocks and aeolian dust, and the soilscapes are associated with highly diverse relief and vegetation (Yaalon, 1997). Alfisols, Mollisols, and Vertisols are common in northern...

Calcareous soils are not suitable for blueberry cultivation. Our aim was to improve the performance of blueberry plants in calcareous soils by using pits filled with growth media in combination with high levels of RNH4+ (proportion of N-NH4+ among the total applied N). Rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Ait. cv. Ochlockonee) plants were grown...

Compost application increases soil organic matter (SOM) content and is particularly beneficial in semi-arid agroecosystems, often impoverished in SOM. The general objective of this work was to characterize the effect of organic vs. inorganic fertilization management on the short- and long-term dynamics of SOM's pools in semi-arid climate. The speci...

The objectives of the present study were to examine the effect of the irrigation frequency applied to different substrates and their mixtures and the effect of the containers height on the dynamic of water content and temperature of the growing medium and on the yield and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) as a model plant. An experi...

Declining performance of avocado orchards growing in a clayey soil irrigated with treated wastewater (TWW) for more than 5 years has been observed in Israel. Measures studied to mitigate this were freshwater (FW), blended TWW:FW in a 1:1 ratio (MIX), low-frequency TWW-irrigation (LFI), TWW irrigated tuff trenches (TUF) and TWW as the control treatm...

Long-term irrigation of clayey soils with treated wastewater (TWW) has significant negative effects on soil physicochemical properties and the performance of various orchards, including avocado. The objectives of the study were to investigate the effects of four different mitigation practices on the dynamics and the spatial changes in selected soil...

Compost application increases soil organic matter (SOM) content and is considered particularly beneficial in arid agroecosystems, often impoverished in SOM. However, there is gap in information on the long and short-term dynamics of soil organic C and N pools following compost application. The general objective of this work was to characterize the...

Reducing nitrate leaching from agricultural land to aquifers has been a high priority concern for more than a half century. This study presents theory and observations of a threshold concentration of nitrate in the root zone (Cmax), which the leachate concentration increases at higher rates with increasing root‐zone nitrate concentration. The value...

Excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis was employed for characterisation of chloroform fumigation-extractable soil organic matter, commonly used for soil microbial biomass estimation. This allowed, for the first time, to discriminate between humic-like (i.e. noncellular) and microbial protein-like...

The increased demand for blueberries and limited availability of low-pH soils have led to the increased use of soilless culture systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a wide range of RNH4⁺ [RNH4⁺ = 100*N-NH4⁺/(N-NH4⁺+N-NO3⁻)] values on the acidification of the growth medium and the nutrient status and performance of blue...

Abstract Reduced orchard performance following long-term irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) in clayey soils and orchard performance are well documented. This study evaluates the effects of tuff trenches to mitigate damage to soil and avocado orchards following long-term irrigation with TWW. The treatments studied included TWW, fresh water (F...

Blueberry production is limited to acidic soils (pH < 5.5) for reasons that are not thoroughly understood. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of proportion of N-NH4+ among the total applied inorganic N {N-NH4+/(N-NH4++N-NO3¯)} (RNH4+) on rabbiteye blueberry plant growth and mineral uptake under different CaCO3 soil levels. Rabbi...

The overall aim of this research was to optimize nitrogen (N) fertilization of plants under desalinated water and a wide range of chloride concentrations for high yield while minimizing downward leaching of nitrate and chloride. The response of two crops, lettuce and potato, to N concentration (CN) in the irrigating solution using desalinated and w...

Recent studies have shown significant negative effects of long-term irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) on performance of orchards planted on clay soil. The aim of this study was to evaluate water use and water relations of different mitigation measures to remedy the declining performance of a mature commercial fruit-bearing 'Hass' avocado orc...

Food security concerns, climate change impacts, and increased pressure on conventional water resources have encouraged the agricultural use of nonconventional water resources in the last decade. As a result, desalinated seawater (DSW) has already consolidated its position as an alternative source to increase the supply for crop irrigation in Spain...

The potential overestimation of soil microbial biolmass C, using the fumigation-extraction method, arising from the contribution of residual (i.e., non-evacuated) chloroform (CHCl3) to the fumigation flush of C, was recently shown to be minor for agricultural topsoil samples. However, we hypothesized larger flush proportions of residual CHCl3–C, an...

Main conclusion Nitrogen and CO2 supply interactively regulate whole plant nitrogen partitioning and root anatomical and morphological development in tomato plants. Abstract Nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) are the key elements in plant growth and constitute the majority of plant dry matter. Growing at CO2 enrichment has the potential to stimulate the...

The yield of avocado trees planted on clayey soils decreases due to irrigation with treated-waste water (TWW). We hypothesized that the main cause for this yield reduction is the reduction in water uptake by the trees roots. The aim of this numerical study was to identify the main soil factors that control the reduction in water uptake by the trees...

Two field studies were conducted in avocado orchards planted on clay soils. The first (2012-2015) evaluated soil oxygen status and its effects in plots irrigated with treated wastewater (TWW) compared to plots irrigated with fresh water (FW) The second (2016-present) tested four agro-technical management practices to recover the damage in TWW irrig...

Treated wastewater is an important source of irrigation water in water-scarce areas worldwide. However, recent findings have shown significant ill effects of long-term irrigation with treated wastewater on soil physico-chemical properties and plant response in clay soils. This study is being conducted to evaluate the effects of management practices...

The use of biostimulants with plant growth-promoting properties, but without significant input of nutrients, is discussed as a strategy to increase stress resistance and nutrient use efficiency of crops. However, limited reproducibility under real production conditions remains a major challenge. The use of combination products based on microbial an...

With the global population projected to grow to more than 8 billion by 2024, irrigated agriculture faces momentous challenges to keep up with the increasing demand for adequate food supplies, especially in the arid regions of the world. As a result, soilless culture is regaining increased attention as it allows a more sustainable management of prod...

Background Although elevated [CO2] causes an increase of photosynthesis in the short-term, this increase is often attenuated over time due to decreased photosynthetic capacity of the leaf in a process called photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 (PAC). PAC is often accompanied by N deficiency and sink:source imbalance. The aim of this study is...

Long-term irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) in clay soils reduces Avocado orchard performance. This may be due to the negative impacts of TWW on the rhizosphere that interfere with root growth and resource acquisition. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of water quality and remediation measures on root growth and performa...

Jatropha curcas L. is a drought tolerant crop that is globally cultivated under semi-arid conditions as a biodiesel feedstock. Despite its great potential, however, many projects failed to reach commercially viable seed and oil yields. The aim of the study was to provide globally applicable solutions for maximization of Jatropha oil production unde...

Polyhalite is a hydrated sulfate of potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) with the formula: K 2 Ca 2 Mg(SO 4 ) 4 ·2H 2 O. The main objective of the present study was to investigate and compare the efficiency of polyhalite as a fertilizer supplying K, Ca, Mg and sulfur (S) relative to equivalent soluble salts. The specific objectives were t...

Simulation of three-dimensional water flow and solute transport in containerized variably saturated soilless substrates with complex hydraulic properties and boundary conditions necessitates high-resolution discretization of the spatial domain, which commonly leads to several million nodes requiring numerical evaluation. Even today’s computational...

Recent increase in demand for agricultural products combined with scarcity of fresh water has motivated increased use of non-conventional water sources for irrigation. Application of water varying in quality dictates adjustment of nitrogen (N) management. The response of bell pepper to a range of different concentrations of N and salinity (NaCl) wa...

THE MAIN GOAL of the current study was to quantify extractable residual chloroform levels in fumigated soils, testing soils varying in clay and SOM contents.

Desalinated water has become a legitimate alternative water resource for the irrigation of intensive crops in semiarid regions. The concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in water (CCa and CMg, respectively) supplied from desalinated plants are much lower than the values typically found in irrigation water resources in semiarid regions....

With the global population projected to grow to more than 8 billion by 2024, irrigated agriculture faces momentous challenges to keep up with the increasing demand for adequate food supplies, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. As a result, soilless culture is regaining increased attention as it allows a more sustainable mana...

Appropriate geometries and depths of containers are essential in obtaining suitable available water and temperature in the root zone of containerized grown plants. The objectives of the present study were to examine the effect of the geometry of a growth container with a given volume and irrigation frequency, on water content and temperature of the...

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) grown in a rotation can contribute significant nitrogen (N) if its decomposition and nutrient-release dynamics are known and synchronised with the maximum demand by the succeeding crop. The aims of the study were to investigate the decomposition rates of two chickpea residues, mature (CHR) and green manure (GM), and use t...

Addition of organic residues and their composts to enhance soil fertility results in organic N mineralization and transformations that may have profound effects on chemical processes. Our hypothesis is that carbonate precipitation and dissolution reactions are driven by proton consumption and release by organic N mineralization and nitrification. I...

The capability of organic wastes to release available N in soil varies largely, depending on their source and form of production, or rather on their composition and biodegradability. Our purpose was to predict mineralization rates of different materials using their analyses joined with a simulation model, and to evaluate the influence of soil type...

Nitrate contamination of groundwater under land used for intensive-agriculture is probably the most worrisome agro-hydrological sustainability problem worldwide. Vadose-zone samples from 0 to 9m depth under citrus orchards overlying an unconfined aquifer were analyzed for variables controlling water flow and the fate and transport of nitrogen ferti...

This research included two independent yet build up objectives: (i) to examine the effects of Mn concentration in the irrigation water on the yield and fruit quality of greenhouse-grown bell pepper exposed to heat stress; and (ii) to investigate in a laboratory experiment the role of Mn addition on oxidative and anti-oxidative components of fruit a...

The aim of the present research was to study changes in the major anti-oxidative enzyme activities known to be associated with the apoplast, during the induction of blossom-end rot (BER) in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruits grown under saline conditions. Pepper plants of the BER-sensitive cv. 'Mazurka' and less-sensitive cv. 'Selica' were gro...

Blossom-end rot (BER) in pepper fruits is known as a "physiological" disease which is evoked by climatic and osmotic stresses (e.g., high temperatures and salinity) and by deficit irrigation management. The physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved in the stimulation of BER are still a matter of dispute. It has been proposed that BER occurs...

We investigated the possibility that oxidative stress contri-butes to blossom-end rot (BER) initiation in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) grown under high salinity. Pepper plants (cv. Mazurka, Rijk Zwaan, the Netherlands) were grown in a greenhouse and irrigated with nutrient solution made up with either desalinated water (control — rising from E....

Blossom-end rot (BER) is a fruit physiological disorder that occurs under salinity stress and is known to be associated with impairment of calcium translocation to the fruit tip. In the present study we investigated the possibility that oxidative stress is part of the causative mechanism of BER in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Pepper plants of two c...

The aim of this mini-review is to describe the specific features of nutrition of vegetable fruits crops. The effects of the development stages, vegetative, flowering, anthesis and fruit development in the life cycle of fruit crops on the demand for nutrients are discussed. The differences in uptake curves of plants which are determinate (single har...

Treated wastewater (TWW) is becoming a valuable resource for irrigation in semiarid regions, where freshwater is scarce; however, changes in soil chemical properties under TWW irrigation can have significant effects on agronomy, hydrology, and the environment. The effects of long-term irrigation with secondary TWW on chemical properties of two cont...

One of the main goals of modern agriculture is to achieve sustainability by maintaining crop productivity while avoiding soil degradation. Intensive cultivation could lead to a reduction in soil organic matter that could affect the structure stability and hydraulic conductivity of the soil. Moreover, crops extract nutrients from the soil that are t...

The global changes in rainfall frequency and quantity have subjected arid and semi-arid regions to long periods of drought. As this phenomenon corresponds to increasing trend of water shortage, the use of treated wastewater (TWW) has been suggested as an alternative for irrigation of agricultural crops in these areas. The aim of the study was to in...

As the world's population increases and the demand for water increases apace there is a rising demand for information concerning the reuse of wastewater, particularly for the irrigation of key food crops worldwide. This important new book addresses in detail the use of treated wastewater in agricultural situations, its impact on crops and the soil...

Nitrogen in treated wastewater-irrigationPhosphorusCalcium and carbonateReferences

Stagnation in grain production in the developing world has contributed to the current worldwide food crisis. The principle objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of improving grain production in the tropical humid region by chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) in rotation with wheat (Tritium aestivum L). A 3-yr field experiment in Kenya in...

The use of organic residues as soil additives is increasing, but, depending on their composition and application methods, these organic amendments can stimulate the emissions of CO(2) and N(2)O. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of management practices in irrigated sweet corn (Zea mays L.) on CO(2) and N(2)O emissions and to r...

Grain legumes grown in rotation with annual cereal crops contribute to the total pool of nitrogen in the soil and improve the yields of cereals. However, the anticipated N benefits of the legume may be positive or negative depending on legume species and its interaction with the environment. Such erratic response may result from excessive water use...

With almost half of humanity suffering insufficient access to potable water and water scarcity for agriculture considered to be a global crisis, seawater desalination has emerged as a feasible solution. Between 1994 and 2004, world desalination capacity increased from 17.3 to 35.6 million m3/day. At present, sea-water desalination provides 1% of th...

Soilless culture methods offer unique benefits such as capabilities to control water availability, pH, and nutrient concentrations in the root zone. At the same time, there are higher risks because of the smaller root system and low buffering capacity for water and nutrients and because of the increased risk of exposure to extreme ambient temperatu...

Th e main aim was to investigate the eff ects of irrigation head and N fertilization on the nutritional quality of saffl ower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) grown for forage. A pot experiment (Exp. I) and two fi eld experiments (Exp. II and III) were performed. Experiment I included nine treatments, comprising three N concentrations (10, 50, and 100 mg...

Little information exists regarding boron (B) deficiency and toxicity in persimmon. The objective of this study was to quantify the response of young persimmon trees to a wide range of B concentrations - from deficiency to excess. Persimmon trees (Diospyrus kaki L. 'Triumph' on D. virginiana) were exposed to nutrient solutions containing B concentr...

Irrigation with saline–sodic water causes sodic conditions in the soil which reduces soil productivity. We evaluated the changes in a number of important indices related to soil structural stability when treated wastewater (TWW), albeit with higher loads of organic matter and suspended solids, was used instead of more saline–sodic irrigation water,...

Declining yields from farmland in the Bet She'an Valley, Israel, irrigated with Jordan River water, raised concerns about resource management and long term sustainability. An experiment was conducted in a commercial cotton field of the Bet She'an region, to assess the impact of irrigation water quality on soil quality. A randomized block design com...

Pepper (Capsicum annuum) seeds were sown in nutrient-poor sand or nutrient-rich peat/vermiculite amended or not amended with Glomus macrocarpum. The vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) seedlings were irrigated with three levels of nutrient solution, and transplanted into four levels of P-amended soil, each of which was irrigated with two levels...

Damage to crops after irrigation with extremely pure water from the world's largest reverse-osmosis desalination plant reveals a need for revised treatment standards.

Safflower plants were grown in central Israel (500mm annual rainfall) under different additional irrigation (ranging from 39.1 to 182.6mm) and nitrogen fertilization (0 and 300kgha−1) regimes. Plants grown under the various irrigation-fertilization combinations were harvested at the budding and full-bloom stages and ensiled in 1.5–l anaerobic glass...

Irrigation with saline–sodic water imposes sodic conditions on the soil and reduces the soil’s productivity. We hypothesized that replacing saline–sodic irrigation water with lesser saline–sodic treated waste water (TWW), albeit with higher loads of organic matter and suspended solids, might help sodic soils regain their structure and hydraulic con...

Zinc movement in soils is influenced by soil pH, the presence of organic chelators, the total quantity of Zn in the soil and by root exudates. The effect of these factors on Zn uptake by a single plant root was simulated mathematically by Bar-Yosef et al. (1980). The objective of this paper was to validate this simulation model and evaluate the rel...

The main goal of this research was to investigate the effects of a wet pad-and-fan evaporative cooling system (ECS) on the incidence of blossom-end rot (BER) and fruit cracking in greenhouse-grown bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The specific objectives were: (i) to study the efficiency of the wet pad-and-fan ECS in improving plant water status an...

No information is available today concerning the effect of irrigation with secondary treated sewage water on growth, production or quality of roses or other cut flowers. In the present study we investigated the effect of irrigation with treated sewage water on roses cultivated in two soil-less medium, perlite, an inert mineral medium and Choir (coc...

Environmentally sound management of the use of composts in agriculture relies on matching the rate of release of available N from compost-amended soils to the crop demand. To develop such management it is necessary to (i) characterize the properties of composts that control their rates of decomposition and release of N and (ii) determine the optima...

The overall objective of the present study was to determine the loading limits of composts that should be applied annually to irrigated wheat. We conducted a container experiment in a greenhouse during four years. It included eight treatments: sewage sludge compost (SSC) and cattle manure compost (CMC), each applied annually to a sandy soil, at rat...

The objective of this program is to optimize the greenhouse production of peppers by the use of circulating nutrient solution with local and desalinized water. The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of circulating untreated local water on pepper yield and to monitor the changes in the water salinity and mineral composition. Two s...

In contrast to many other horticultural crops, cut roses show higher concentrations of Ca in the leaves at the top of the flower stem than in those at the bottom. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of Ca along the stem of roses, to assess whether Ca accumulation in roses might be governed by factors other than transpiration. Ca concen...

apsim-Nwheat is a wheat crop system simulation model within the apsim framework which consists of modules that incorporate aspects of soil water, nitrogen, residues, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop development and growth, including grain protein content. apsim-Nwheat has been validated for soil water, soil N, crop phenology, biomass production an...

Phosphorus, an essential plant nutrient, may become toxic when accumulated by plants to high concentrations. Certain plant species such as Verticordia plumosa L. suffer from P toxicity at solution concentrations far lower than most other plant species. In this study, exposure of V. plumosa plants to a solution containing as low as 3 mg l–1 P result...

The objective of this research was to study the effects of N concentration and N-NO3:N-NH4 ratio in the nutrient solution on growth, transpiration, and nutrient uptake of greenhouse-grown pepper in a Mediterranean climate. The experiment included five total N levels (0.25 to 14 mmol·L-1, with a constant N-NO3:N-NH4 ratio of 4) and five treatments o...

Blossom-end rot (BER) is one of the major physiological disorders of greenhouse bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The objective of the present work was to study the effects of the solution N concentration and N-NO3:N-NH4 ratio on fruit yield and the incidence of BER and other fruit-quality traits of greenhouse-grown bell pepper in a Mediterranean c...

Blossom end rot (BER) is one of the main physiological disorders in bell pepper fruit, reducing export and marketable yield during late spring and summer in Israel. BER occurrence has been related to calcium deficiency and water supply to the fruit. The objective of the present study was to explore management means to minimize this phenomenon. The...

The quality of cut rose flowers at the post-harvest stage is affected by the susceptibility to Botrytis flower blight. This parameter may be related to Ca concentration in the flowers. The objective of the present study was to increase the Ca concentration in the stem and petals of roses in order to improve cut-flower post-harvest quality and to re...