Meni Ben-Hur

• Professor
• Agricultural Research Organization ARO

Drywells, perforated above the water table, are an attractive tool for both reducing the risk of floods, and increasing groundwater recharge in urban\suburban areas. Various simplifications of the relationship between the injection discharge (Q) and the water‐level rise in the drywell during water injection (H) are available. This work presents obs...

Agrarian terraces are surely recognized as a traditional soil and water conservation technique, however the use of these methods in forestry are poorly studied, especially the hydrological impacts of bench terracing for forest plantations. The employment of heavy machinery in forests have been described to increase soil bulk density and compaction...

Soil erosion is a significant process in the loss of soil/land resources, degradation and desertification. Traditionally, wind and water erosions have been studied and modelled separately. A quantitative sediment flux measure from a specific soil due to both water and wind erosion is lacking. The study aimed to drive such erosion rates in a semi-ar...

Surface runoff and soil erosion from vineyards during the rainy seasons are often high, because in winter the soil is bare, and the raindrops form a crust with low hydraulic conductivity that increases runoff and soil loss. In a field experiment in a vineyard, the ability of the foliage of wild plants, which grow naturally in the area between the r...

Erosion by water and wind can seriously deteriorate soil quality. Traditionally, these two types of erosion have been studied and modelled separately. The main goal of this study was to explore the sensitivity of two Medi-terranean soils to both water and wind erosion, in terms of their properties and aggregation. Targeted laboratory experiments we...

Water extractable organic matter (WEOM) is a very mobile and reactive soil OM fraction, critical in the trans-location of carbon (C) from soils to other environmental compartments. Transformations of WEOM due to soil heating can have implications not only at a local scale, but in places far away from the location of the event. However, their accura...

Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and 2-Acrylamide-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) as raw material, calcium alginate (CA33) was used as the main carrier for regulating and controlling soil water storage, and in situ polymerization with inorganic clay sodium bentonite to prepare a novel type of superabsorbent HES-PAM/ bentonite and HES/CA33-PAM/ sodi...

Countries with dry climates must optimize the use of natural water sources. Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is a viable water source for non-potable uses. Besides, rainwater can also be used for managed aquifer recharge (MAR). This work discusses the combined use of RWH for toilet flushing and MAR. A mass-balance simulation was used to estimate efficien...

The establishment of monospecific eucalypt plantations has increased considerably over the last half-century. At present, eucalypts are the tree species that are planted most widely across the world, and the common practice of soil mobilization prior to their planting has been associated with negative effects on soil functions such as nutrient and...

Long-term drip irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) is known to enhance oxygen deficiency (hypoxia), especially in fine-textured soils. Hypoxia conditions around plant roots negatively affect growth and yield. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of lettuce grown in well-aerated (sandy) and poorly aerated (clayey) soils to surfac...

Bitumen waterproof sheets are widely used to seal building roofs. Previous works have focused on the mechanical-physical properties of bitumen sheets, as well as their aging and degradation processes, and their impact on sealing properties of the buildings. Due to a growing need over recent years to use rooftops in urban environments for rainwater...

Soils are turned over during agronomic and environmental activities, such that the sublayer becomes the topsoil. Because subsoils have been subjected to high pressures over long periods in the field, their activities and functionality can be changed when they are shifted to the top layer. The present work objective was to investigated the mechanism...

Treated wastewater (TWW) is increasingly used for agricultural irrigation, and often contains higher concentrations of the major plant nutrients N, P, and K than freshwater, reducing the need for agricultural fertilization. However, excessive inputs of nutrients to cropping systems can be harmful to crops and the environment. The present study deve...

Unpaved roads could be a significant source of dust emission. A common and effective practice to suppress this emission is the application of brine solution on these roads. However, this application could increase the risk of water source salinization in arid and semiarid regions, such as Israel. The general objective of the present study was to in...

The objective of the present study was to examine whether we could improve the aeration of clayey soils that had been degraded by long-term irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) through drip irrigation with TWW aerated with oxygen (O 2) nanobubbles (ONB). A lysimeter setup was irrigated using surface and subsurface drip systems, and the effects...

Soil-derived dust particles produced by aeolian (wind) processes have significant impacts on humans and the Earth’s systems. The soil particle size distribution is a major soil characteristic in dust emission models. Yet empirical information on the dependence of dust emission thresholds on soil particle size distribution is still lacking. The main...

Agriculture, the largest global water consumer, accounts for ∼70% of freshwater use thereby considerably influencing water availability. The use of treated wastewater [TWW] for agricultural irrigation has been suggested as a possible solution to help mitigate water scarcity without disrupting food production. However, despite the benefits of TWW ir...

Climate models for semiarid and arid regions predict increasing average temperatures and reduced amounts of total annual rainfall. This warming and drying trend could have critical, adverse effects on natural vegetation activity and survival in arid and semiarid zones. We investigated the long-term effects of climate change and surface-runoff varia...

The long term effects of applying livestock manures as soil amendment are well known. However, these manures usually contain high soluble salts content, which could increase the soil salinity and sodicity within a short time after their application. The aim of this study was to investigate the short term effects of animal manure application on soil...

Biochar application to agricultural soils has been proposed as a way to increase crop production by improving soil chemical and physical properties. Liming potential and improved nutrient exchange on biochar surfaces are the most reported mechanisms. Wherever crops experience drought stress, improvements in soil water holding capacity (WHC) might a...

The application of Brilliant Blue FCF tracer enables to identify flow types in multi-domain porous systems of soils via analyses of morphologic parameters of stained objects occurring in dye pattern profiles, as they represent the footprint of flow processes which occurred in soil during both the infiltration and the redistribution of dye solution....

World-wide water scarcity is urging the use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation but this practice may have adverse effects on soil and crop contamination due to the introduction of potential microbial pathogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential health risks caused by TWW irrigation of soils differing in their texture...

Tel Yarmuth, located in central Israel, is one of the largest urban centers that flourished during the third millennium BCE in the Land of Israel. An agricultural plot was discovered c. 150 m east of the main site. It is a local spot, constructed by an artificial gray sediment/soil and dated by ceramic finds and OSL to the Early Bronze age. A multi...

Climatic models, at arid and semi-arid regions, predict an increase in average temperature in conjunction with the reduction of total rainfall depth. Current climatic fluctuations aggravate ecosystems susceptibility at arid regions that emerge due to environmental and anthropogenic pressure. A long-term study that was conducted within “Sayeret Shak...

Excess soils from construction sites (waste soils) become a problem when exposed to soil erosion by water or wind. Understanding waste soil erodibility can contribute to its proper reuse for various surface applications. The general objective of the study was to provide a better understanding of the effects of soil properties on erodibility of wast...

Although the benefits of using grafted transplants are now fully recognized worldwide, the need to enlighten the scientific basis of rootstock-scion interactions under variable environmental pressures remains vital for extracting grafting-mediated crop improvement. This has prompted the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action F...

Disturbed landscapes, such as mining areas, appear to experience accelerated erosion rates in comparison to natural mature landscapes. This implies a difficulty of these landforms to reach equilibrium and allow the rehabilitation of biodiversity. Despite previous studies of post-mining reclamation in other locations, still little is known about the...

Purpose Soil amendment with biochar can result in decreased bulk density and soil penetration resistance, and increased water-holding capacity. We hypothesized that adding biochar could moderate the reductions in infiltration rates (IR) that occur during high-intensity rainstorms in seal-prone soils, and hence result in reduced runoff and erosion r...

Tomato ‘Abigail’ (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and basil ‘Perry’ (Ocimum basilicum L.)were selected asmodel plants for selenium(Se) supplementation to evaluate a) effects of Se concentration in nutrient solution on Se content in different organs under fertigation, b) Se phytotoxicity threshold values, and c) mechanisms.Plants grown in a glasshouse were...

Semi-arid and arid regions are characterized by water scarcity and long dry summers. To ensure continued food supply and to combat desertification in these regions, marginal waters such as saline water and treated domestic sewage (effluent) are increasingly used for irrigation. These conditions may decrease plant growth and fruit yields of vegetabl...

Melon plants grafted on Cucurbita rootstock may suffer from nutritional deficiencies due to reduced absorption and translocation of minerals to the foliage. Melon (Cucumis melo L.) cv. 6023 was grafted onto two interspecific Cucurbita rootstocks (Cucurbita maxima 3 Cucurbita moschata) ‘TZ-148’ and ‘Gad’. Nongrafted melons were used as controls. Two...

Fire severity varies widely among and within wildfires. The objective of this work was to test the effectiveness of granular polyacrylamide (PAM) to reduce erosion in a Calcic Regosol exposed to different fire conditions. Three treatments were selected representing disturbances that coexist after a wildfire: unburned, low-moderate severity direct f...

Agricultural production in arid and semiarid regions relies mainly on irrigation. Due to the scarcity of water resources in these regions, the use of marginal water sources (saline water and treated effluent) for irrigation is on the rise. Marginal water can contain high concentrations of salts and toxic microelements. Long-term use of this water f...

One of the consequences of wildfires is the modification of the hydrology of the affected area, usually resulting in increased overland flow and soil erosion. In this work, we tested granular anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) to reduce post-fire soil erosion, and the mechanisms by which this polymer modifies infiltration rate (IR), runoff and soil loss....

Forest fires are a major environmental concern, especially in the semiarid Mediterranean regions, where the long dry and hot summers and mild winters favor outbreaks of wildfires. The objective of this work was to study the effects of different fire treatments on physical, chemical, and physicochemical properties of Pale rendzina, and their impact...

Semiarid and arid zones are characterized by short wet winters and long dry summers, when most of crop production relies on irrigation. In these areas, treated wastewater (TWW) is a valuable water resource whose use is rapidly expanding. However, the composition of TWW differs from that of freshwater, mainly due to higher salt, sodium and organic m...

Anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) has been proven to be an effective chemical soil amendment for reducing erosion in arable lands and infrastructure projects, but few attempts have been made to use it as a post-fire mitigation measure. Moreover, the mechanisms by which PAM reduces soil erosion are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the use o...

Seal formation at the soil surface during rainstorms reduces rain infiltration and leads to runoff and erosion. Surface application of dissolved polyacrylamide (PAM) mixed with gypsum was found to be effective in decreasing seal formation, runoff and erosion. Surface application of dry granular PAM mixed with gypsum was effective in decreasing runo...

For several years now, forest fires have been known to increase overland flow and soil erosion. However, mitigation of these effects has been little studied, especially outside the USA. This study aimed to quantify the effectiveness of two so-called emergency treatments to reduce post-fire runoff and soil losses at the microplot scale in a eucalypt...

Salinity is a major problem in arid and semi-arid regions, where irrigation is essential for crop production. Major sources of salinity in these regions are salt-rich irrigation water and improper irrigation management. The effects of salinity on crops include inhibition of growth and production, and ultimately, death. There are two main approaches...

Wetting and drying cycles have been reported to have a positive effect on soil aggregation and improve the recovery of soil structure after a disturbance. Therefore, after wildfires, it is expected that drying periods between consecutive storms could modify runoff and soil loss patterns. At the same time, different fire conditions may coexist in a...

Forest fires are well-known to increase both overland flow and soil erosion during several years before returning to pre-fire levels. The mitigation of these effects has been less well quantified, especially by forest residue mulching and application of polyacrylamides (PAM). In this study, the effectiveness of both treatments was determined for an...

Keywords Abstract Erosion Mulching PAM Runoff Wildfires Portugal suffers every year the effects of wildfires, including an increasing superficial runoff and erosion in affected areas. Post-fire stabilization treatments with mulching have been referred by several authors as one of the best techniques to relieve these impacts. This study evaluates th...

Forest fires are well-known to increase both overland flow and soil erosion during several years before returning to pre-fire levels. The mitigation of these effects has been less well quantified, especially by forest residue mulching and application of polyacrylamides (PAM). In this study, the effectiveness of both treatments was determined for an...

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...

Meni Ben-Hur shares his views on some of the changes, challenges and achievements of the water system in the Israeli agriculture. One of the possibilities to dispose of treated wastewater is its reuse in irrigation. This reuse of treated wastewater in Israeli agriculture has increased and expanded over a period of time. The master plan of the Water...

The use of wastewater as an alternative water source for irrigation needs specific studies since this water contains organic matter, salt, heavy metals and high boron concentrations, which may be toxic to many crops. Grafting of vegetable plants became a common practice with the main goals to control soil-borne diseases and nematodes and improve to...

Forest cover and its management and perturbations could significantly affect the surface runoff (part of the precipitation that does not penetrate into the soil and not accumulate on its surface), overland flow (surface runoff and streams), soil erosion, and runoff water quality. These effects are strongly related to climatic conditions. The overal...

The effects of grafting on Na and Cl– uptake and distribution in plant tissues were quantified in a greenhouse experiment using six combinations of melon (Cucumis melo L. cv. Arava) and pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne×Cucurbita moschata Duchesne cv. TZ-148): non-grafted, self-grafted, melons grafted on pumpkins, and pumpkins grafted on melons. T...

Forest fires are a major environmental problem in the Mediterranean region because they result in a loss of vegetation cover, changes in biodiversity, increases in greenhouse gasses emission and a potential increase of runoff and soil erosion. The large increases in runoff and sediment yields after high severity fires have been attributed to severa...

The use of recycled wastewater that has undergone various treatments (effluent) for irrigation is becoming one of the main means by which to mitigate the pressure on freshwater resources. The main objective of this study was to improve the basic understanding of the effects of irrigation with various effluents oil the saturated hydraulic conductivi...

Salinity is a significant problem in many regions in the world. It is estimated that the productivity of approximately 20-30 million irrigated hectares has been significantly decreased by salinity, and that salinization results in the annual loss of an additional 0.25-05 million hectares globally. The salts often originate from the earth's crust an...

Forest fires are a major environmental problem in the Mediterranean region because they result in a loss of vegetation cover, changes in biodiversity, increases in greenhouse gasses emission and a potential increase of runoff and soil erosion. The large increases in runoff and sediment yields after high severity fires have been attributed to severa...

In arid and semiarid regions, the use of treated domestic sewage (effluent) for irrigation is becoming a common practice, because of the shortage of freshwater resources. However, the use of effluent for irrigation could have an impact on the chemical and hydraulic properties of soils. This paper reviews the effects of irrigation with effluents tha...

Hydraulic conductivity of soil is strongly dependent on soil structure, which can be degraded during wetting and leaching. It was hypothesised that this structural degradation is dependent on initial aggregate size distribution and soil texture. The general aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aggregate sizes and soil textures, and t...