Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot

17/06/2026

🏆 Today, the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem hosted a symposium in honor of the prestigious Wolf Prize laureates in Agriculture, in collaboration with the Volcani Institute.

The Wolf Prize is one of the world's most respected and prestigious international awards in science. It is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions that have a significant impact on humanity.

We are proud to have hosted this event and to congratulate the 2026 Wolf Prize laureates for their dedication to advancing science and for their groundbreaking contributions:
⭐Prof. Caroline Dean, John Innes Centre, England, UK.
⭐Prof. Venkatesan Sundaresan, University of California, Davis, USA.
⭐ Prof. Elliot M. Meyerowitz, Caltech and Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, USA.
⭐Prof. Brian J. Staskawicz, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
⭐Prof. Jonathan D.G. Jones, University of East Anglia / The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK.
⭐Prof. Jeff Dangl, University of North Carolina at Chapel and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chapel Hill, USA.

Warm congratulations to the laureates, and sincere thanks to all those whose dedication and work continue to advance scientific research for the benefit of humanity. 🌱🏆

מכון וולקני

08/06/2026

New research challenges assumptions about how ecosystems absorb carbon under climate change. Led by Prof. José M. Grünzweig and Dr. Chongyang Xu of the Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, with local and international collaborators, the study shows that improved water-use efficiency and expanding plant canopies, rather than temperature adaptation, are driving increased carbon uptake, reshaping global predictions for future climate key models.

Recent studies reveal crucial factors in climate change. Learn how vegetation and water management influence carbon absorption.

31/05/2026

TODAY 💫

Last chance to join Hebrew University’s Digital Open Day! 🌿🌳
📅May 31st, 2026
💻 Online (Zoom)
Join us and get the inside scoop:
✨Explore your study options
✨English-taught programs
✨Scholarships & tuition
✨Ask us anything
Spots are filling up - don’t delay>> https://tinyurl.com/a4y8tbxa

31/05/2026

Prof. Maggie Levy and fellow researchers Anton Fennec and Neta Rotem developed a fungus-based extract that boosts crop yields and improves taste, naturally. Their method increases growth, enhances sweetness, and delivers more reliable results without relying on chemicals or live fungi. This innovation could transform sustainable agriculture and help meet global food demands while protecting the environment. 🍄

Israeli researchers show a fungal extract can boost crop yields, improve taste, and reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers.

18/05/2026

Last chance to join Hebrew University’s Digital Open Day! 🌿🌳
📅May 31st, 2026
💻 Online (Zoom)
Join us and get the inside scoop:
✨Explore your study options
✨English-taught programs
✨Scholarships & tuition
✨Ask us anything
Spots are filling up - don’t delay>> https://tinyurl.com/a4y8tbxa

12/04/2026

Indoor air quality in modern buildings is increasingly difficult to maintain without high energy costs, and while vertical green walls offer a natural solution, their inconsistent performance and complex maintenance have limited widespread use.
VertINGreen, developed by Dr. David Helman and Yehuda Yungstein of the Department of Soil and Water Sciences, solves this by using AI, remote sensing, and plant data to both predict how green walls will perform before installation and monitor their health in real time—making them a reliable, efficient, and scalable tool for improving air quality and reducing energy consumption.

The research paper titled “VertINGreen: A Practical Application for Planning and Monitoring Indoor Vertical Green Living Walls Based on Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Models” is now available in Indoor Air and can be accessed at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/ina/5782002 .

📸Vertical Green Wall in the Lab Used for This Study | Credit: David Helman Lab