ABSTRACTS

Genesis Seeds and the US organic seed market
Mr. Manny Shemin
Director
Genesis Seeds Ltd.

2004 Sales (Sources: EC, OTA):
- US: $11B
- EU: $12B
Organic food sales growth: 17% to 21% / yr. since 1997, (total food sales growth was 2% - %). 43% of US Organic food sold in mainstream stores.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.– worlds’ largest retailer, announced doubling 400 organic products in summer 2006.

• Sales of network: Over $312B

• Employees: 1.6 million in 15 countries

• Facilities: Over 6,200 stores (4000 in the US)

• Customers: More than 138M/week

• Organic growers are required to use organic seed:
  since 2002 in the US
  since 2004 in the EU

• Progress is taking place, but at a slow pace.

• Genesis Seeds in the US and EU Markets: Early Market Entry, Leader of Quality Organic Seed, showed over 65% growths in 2005.

• Genesis Seeds : Supplying both Conventional and Organic Grower Segments

• Availability of specific varieties and higher price are among the main factors inhibiting the usage of organic seeds. The organic seed database will be ready at 2006 and help growers locate available organic seed varieties.

What's New At Genesis Seeds?
Dr. Isaac Nir
President
Genesis Seeds Ltd.

Genesis Seeds was established on 1994 by Manny Shemin and Isaac Nir to develop advanced high-tech ecological agriculture, in the Negev and Galilee. Strategically the company concentrates in research and production. Genesis out source the organic production to growers all over the country with various micro climates, but its research is mainly in-house, carried on in two experimental stations in Ramat-Negev (Ashalim) and Galilee (Handoff). Our copartners in research are research institutions like the Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Organization, Bar-Élan and Cornel University.

Since 2004, Genesis has been focusing on these main objectives:

1. Fewer varieties
   We focus on 120 selected profitable varieties out of 350 herbs, vegetable and flowers.  Production units and much larger and the growers are very professional.
   We started to focus on four season's production program to enable better planning.

2. Hybrid Seeds
   Concentrate more on f-1 hybrids for the professional market. (More than 16 breeding project are in process).

3. Marketing
   Respond to market needs like 'Edible Greens', Herbs and other flowers and vegetables.

4. Price
   We will make an effort to offer most of our seeds (organically produced) in a competitively price to the entire seed industry. Organically produced seeds are as good as or better than conventionally seeds. Offering the organically produced seeds in a competitive price and advanced production methods will be a great help the growers and the environment as well.

5. Environment
   Develop ecological methods that can be used by conventional growers as well.

6. Quality
   Best equipment and strict quality measures in all aspects of production and marketing.

7. Professionalism
   Strengthen the cooperation with the research institutes in Israel and abroad. Hire more breeders and experts to help with our new projects.

8. Work
   If the company grows as expected, it will need many more professional and skilled workers.

The Galilee and the Negev Research and Development Centers
Mr. Ido Bar-Av
Ashalim R&D Manager
Genesis Seeds Ltd.

Two experimental station in the Galille, Harduf (2 Ha) and Ramat-Negev, Ashalim (8 Ha). With extremely different growing environment of soil, temp, humidity and vegetation. The two stations are active in many different aspects.

The main objectives of the two are to develop the future varieties for the company. Currently both stations are involved in more than 16 research projects like : F-1 Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes, Melon Gallia type with better yields, flavor and good residency to fusarium., Slow bolt romaine type lettuce, New F-1 aromatic basils, Partenocarpic cucumbers, Squashes, pollen-less sunflowers for cut ornamental and others.

Our breeding program is guided by breeder of the company and assistance from research organizations in Israel and Abroad.  On 2006 plans are to release on a semi-commercial experiment 10 varieties of Tomato and one variety of sunflowers. Additional services provided by the research stations are:

• To maintain varities for future production.

• Purity tests regularly on site of every lot of production.

• Introduction of new varieties to evaluate demand & yields versus production costs.

• Agro-technical growing methods to improve competitive quality and yield. Like: subsurface drip irrigation to eliminate weeds or production of Tomatoes and Cucumbers in 20 liter containers in the ground. To have a better control on fertilizers, save water and prevent drastic measures when ever a specific sanitation problem occurs in one of the containers. The Research supervisor visit  our growers regularly to implement our methods in the field and have a very close follow up on the quality of the production.

Tomatoes breeding, past and future
Prof. Haim Rabinowitz
Rector
Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

Tomatoes, the most economically important vegetable crop suffered heavy losses due to fast softening. It was estimated that approximately 40% of the world crop of fresh market tomatoes was thus lost. The discovery of genes for shelf-life extension was made in the 1960s and early 1970s and opened new possibilities. This was first implemented primarily by the team of tomato breeders at the Hebrew University. The first and leading long-shelf fresh-market hybrids were released in the 1980s and by the end of the Century, about 40% of the greenhouse production in Mediterranean Europe was based on Israeli seeds.

Utilization of genes for long-shelf-life allowed the commercialization of cherry tomatoes, which earlier were grown in backyard gardens. Its very fast softening quality prohibited their marketing on a big scale. Cluster tomatoes are another novelty that was developed by our tomato team, again thanks to these genes.

Future developments include tomatoes as a functional food, development of hi-impact aroma tomatoes for improved flavor, change in plants' growth habit and increased yields, different colors and shapes, and improved built-in resistance to pests, to reduce pollution, hazard to consumers and growers' costs.

Wild Flowers of the Negev and their Cultivation
Prof. Yitzchak Guterman
Blaustein Institute for Desert Research
University of Beer Sheva

Many plants with beautiful flowers, from the natural vegetation of the Negev, have the potential to be used as ornamental plants for gardening. These plants require only small amounts of water because they are originated from a desert habitat. Small quantities of additional irrigation may enhance their beauty and increase their amounts of flowers. These plant species, including plants with corns, bulbs or storage roots, may flower in the summer - such as Urginea maritime.  In the autumn, before the rains, flower - Colchicum tunicatum, Pancratium sickenbergeri and Pancratium sickenbergeri. The first to flower after the rains is Narcissus tazetta. In winter and spring flower Ornithogalum trichophyllum, Colchicum ritchii, Gagea chlorantha, Anemone coronaria,  Iris regis-uzziae, Asphodelus ramosus, Gynandriris sysirinchium,  Muscari neglectum, Ophrys umbilicata, Iris mariae, Allium rothii, Tulipa systole, Asphodeline lutea, Iris petrana, Iris atrofusca, Ornithogalum narbonens and Ixiolirion tataricum. In the spring also flower Scorzonera judaica and Scorzonera papposa. Small shrubs with beautiful flowers are Erodium crassifolium and Helianthemum vesicarium which appears on the higher Negev Mountains with flowers of many colors from deep red to pink, violet and white – all at the same population. The most spectacular big shrub is the Retama raetam which appears in the spring with a large quantity of flowers and a wonderful smell. From the trees, the most spectacular flowers are those of Moringa peregrina.

The different plant species with bulbs and corns should be located in the garden at a place that will be irrigated only during winter and spring whereas the shrubs and trees should be located in areas of the garden which will receive small amounts of water all around the year.

Medical Plant Usage by the Negev Bedouins
Mr. Yigal Granot
Midreshet Sde Boker

The Negev is a sources of many medicinal plants used traditionally by the By Bedouins for centuries. The usage of selected medicinal plants will be discussed for different aspects including potentional cultivation.

• Preventive-medicine and curative-medicine in use by the Bedouins:

• Natural and super-natural in the traditional Bedouin medicine

• Methods and practices in traditional Bedouin medicine (“Doctrine of Signatures”; the principle of “ Poisonous plants for abortion”; Plants as a source of remedies; Plants in magic medicine; narcotic plant use)

• Modern science and traditional Bedouin medicine