A Lancaster University Professor led more than 50 Israeli, Palestinian and UK scientists and entrepreneurs on a British Council funded workshop in Israel to explore how best to utilise scarce water resources.

Professor Ian Dodd, from Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC), who leads the Water Saving in Agriculture and Horticulture project with Professor Noemi Tel-Zur of Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), gave the opening keynote address at the two-day workshop on March 21 and 22.

Its aim was to bring academic, technical, and commercial communities together to exchange knowledge and transfer technology on plant selection and irrigation management to enhance agricultural practice.

While Middle Eastern cropping and public amenity plantings are well-adapted to dry conditions, the UK’s 2022 summer was the driest since 1976.

Climate change means the UK needs to adapt, with vegetable growers in some parts of the country already reducing their planting scale due to limited winter rainfall.

In his keynote address ‘Plant Diversity and Irrigation Management to Enhance Ecosystem Services’ – Ian provided case studies of Lancaster’s recent research on each of the workshop’s themes.

Prof Naftali Lazarovitch, director of the French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands at BGU, highlighted the topic’s importance to his institute, urging delegates to optimise both water and nutrient use in agriculture, as both resources are co-limiting in desert regions.

Emphasising the need for regional co-operation in water resources management, Palestine’s Eng. Iyad Mashal then considered collaborative efforts to use non-conventional water resources, for example recycled water, to support agriculture, documenting extensive workshops to train farmers in wise water management.

A range of presentations considered microbiological contamination of these water resources, precision and deficit irrigation techniques in high value horticultural crops, the role of the root system in accessing available water resources including the use of ancestral relatives of crop species, and some diverse cropping opportunities such as cacti.

New technological developments were a recurrent theme within the talks.

Rebecca Killick, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Lancaster University, who also attended the workshop, demonstrated how statistical tools can interpret data on tree water use to provide an early warning system to growers of the need to irrigate, thereby decreasing wasteful irrigation.

Irrespective of scientific advances that researchers make, Ian said a key element is to ensure practical water management tools are distributed to businesses, who are often the custodians of water resources.

"Since agricultural water scarcity is an emerging issue for UK growers, it was encouraging to see the conversations that emerged during the workshop between basic and applied scientists, entrepreneurs and practitioners, that will stimulate new collaborations,” he said.

“Adopting new water-saving irrigation technologies requires growers to accept an element of risk, thus learning from our Israeli and Palestinian colleagues who already have extensive practical experience was extremely valuable.

“UK expertise in fundamental plant sciences and data sciences offer reciprocal opportunities for learning."

The workshop also featured a series of short talks by early career researchers and entrepreneurs.

Reflecting on the workshop’s impact, Max Randall, group technical and sustainability manager of Berry World (UK) said: “With growers in 30 countries, BerryWorld has a significant global supply chain, with global water challenges.

“Responding to these is a key part of our sustainability strategy, along with supporting our growers to adapt.

“Attending and speaking at the workshop was a great way to exchange knowledge on the latest research in this area, which can support our growers as they adapt their water management practices to mitigate the impact of the water challenges they face.”

On the second day of the workshop Dr Alon Ben-Gal, from the Gilat Research Center of Israel's Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, led delegates to an agricultural research institute to see different irrigation techniques deployed with different crops such as olives and jojoba.

Ian previously collaborated with Dr Ben-Gal on the EU Shui project, which emphasised the development of farmer-accessible tools.

Advances in fruit and vegetable greenhouse production were demonstrated, as these cropping systems are often water intensive.

The group also learnt how farmers near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Avdat developed water harvesting techniques in the AD300’s to allow agriculture in this desert region, and visited a modern vineyard that has planted its vines on ancient drainage lines to maximise water use efficiency (and wine quality).

To continue the benefits of knowledge exchange and further develop new collaborations, Israeli and Palestinian delegates will visit the UK’s Rothamsted Research (the world’s oldest agricultural research institute) and Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley site, in July.