1.  PERSONAL DETAILS

2.  EDUCATION

3.  EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Research and Teaching Experience

4.  PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

a.  Positions in academic administration

 b.  Professional functions outside the university

c.  Memberships of committees

d. Courses currently taught

1 Biological Principles of Practical Use A  (undergraduate course, lectures and desert trips in research stations and commercial companies with applied biological activities ).

2 Biological Principals in Practical Use B (as in A).

3. Undergraduate Research Project for 8 credit points.

e. More than 50 Research students, postdocotorates and Sabbaticals  

f. Membership in Professional/Scientific Associations

5.  AWARDS, HONORS, RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

6.  ABSTRACTS FROM PROCEEDINGS AND MEETINGS

1. Berdugo-Bura, N., Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, Y. (1994).  Characteristics of male and female reproductive organs in white sapote ( Casimiroa edulis   Llave) flowers.  Pollen-Pistil Interactions.  In:  Ninth Annual Penn State Symposium in Plant Physiology. USA.  19-21 May, 1994. 

2. Nerd, A.; Mizrahi,Y. (1994). Toward seedless prickly pear. p. 5-6. In: P. Felker and J.R. Moss (eds), Proc. 5th Annual Texas Prickly Pear Council    Kingsville, Texas (12 Aug.)

3. Raveh, E.; Nerd, A.; Mizrahi, Y.  (1995).  Responses of  climbing cacti to different levels of shade and to elevated carbon dioxide . In: Abstracts of the ISHS symposium on strategies for market oriented greenhouse production, Alexandria, Egypt (11-15 March 1995).  Acta Hort.

4. Wang. X.N.; Nerd, A.; Friedlander, M.; Mizrahi, Y. (1995).  Physical and chemical changes during the development and the ripening of the apple cactus (Cereus peruvianus ) fruit. In: Abstracts of the Inter. Symposium on postharvest and technology of horticultural crops. Beijing, China (27 June-1 July 1995).

5. Mesika, R; Nerd, A.; Mizrahi, Y. (1995).  Non-ripening genotype of Guava (Psidium guajava).  In: Abstracts of the Inter. Symposium on postharvest and technology of horticultural crops..  Beijing,  China ( 27 June-1 July 1995).

6. Mizrahi, Y.  (1995).  The role of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in developing the Israeli Negev Desert and as a model for agricultural development in other semi-arid zones.  The Fourth International Symposium On the Role of Universities in Developing Areas. Incorporating the 1995 UNESCO Regional Seminar on Technology for Development.  Royal Institute of Technology, Melbourne Vic. Australia  11-14 July  1995.  International Network and the Role of Universities in Developing Areas.  INRUDA  Proceeding vol # 2

7. Nerd, A., Dumoutier, M., and Mizrahi, Y. (1995).  Postharvest behaviour of the vegetable cactus Nopalea cochinellifera (nopalitos). Australian Postharvest Horticulture Conference.  Science and Technology for The Fresh Food Revolution.  Melbourne, Vic. Australia  18-22 September 1995,

8. Mizrahi, Y. and Nerd, A. (1995).  New fruit crops from the Cactaceae (Invited speaker)  pp 44. In: Abstracts of the Third National Symposium  NEW CROPS.  New Opportunities, New Technologies.  22-25 October 1995, Indianapolis, Indiana US

9. Mizrahi, Y. and Nerd, A. (1995).  New  crops as a possible solution for the troubled Israeli export market (Invited  speaker).  pp 56. In: Abstracts of the Third National Symposium  NEW CROPS.  New Opportunities, New Technologies.  22-25 October 1995, Indianapolis, Indiana USA

10. Wang, X.N.,  Friedlander, M., Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, y.  (1996).  Ultrastructure and activities of cell wall hydrolases during fruit storage of  Cereus  peruvianus .  Fourth International Meeting on Cactus pear

11. Wang, X.N.,  Friedlander, M., Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, y.  (1996).  Tissue structure changes in  Cereus peruvianus  observed by light microscopy.  Annual meeting of the Botanical Society  of Israel 28 February 1996, Beer Sheva Israel.

12. Lichtenzveig, J., Abbo, S. and Mizrahi Y. (1996).  The cytological basis of semi-sterility  in  Selenicereus megalanthus  (1996).  Annual meeting of the Botanical Society  of Israel 28 February 1996, Beer Sheva Israel. (P33 poster).

13. Aflalo, A., Nerd, A and Mizrahi, Y. (1996).  Productivity of the vegetable cacti (nopalitos) Nopalea cochenillifera  and Opuntia ficus-indica. Annual meeting of the Botanical Society  of Israel 28 February 1996, Beer Sheva Israel. (P41 poster).

14. Mizrahi, A., Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, Y.  (1996).  Fruit development and ripening of black sapote in the Israeli Negev Desert.  Annual meeting of the Botanical Society  of Israel 28 February 1996, Beer Sheva Israel. (P50 poster).

15. Raveh, E., Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, Y.  (1996).  Effect of double CO2  concentration on  CO2 uptake in Crassulacean Acid Metabolism plant Hylocereus undatus  . Annual meeting of the Botanical Society  of Israel 28 February 1996, Beer Sheva Israel. (P52 poster). 

16. Mizrahi, Y and Nerd, A.  (1996).  Wild plants in the service of the agricultural industry in the Israeli Negev Desert.  Annual meeting of the Botanical Society  of Israel 28 February 1996, Beer Sheva Israel. (Invited lecture ).

17. Lichtenzeig,  J. , Abbo, S. Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, Y. (1996).  Occurrence of self-incompatibility  and semi-sterility  in climbing cacti of the genera  Hylocereus  and Selenicereus   s .  Abstract S05- 11 in the Proceedings of the 10th Federation of the European Societies of Plant Physiology (FESPP) Congress.  Florece, Italy. September 9-13 1966.  Special Issue of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry " From Molecular Mechanisms to  the Plant :  An Integrated Approach".  p 63.

18. Nerd, A. Irijimovich, V. and Mizrahi, Y. (1997).  Phenology, Breeding System, and Fruit Development of Cultivated Argan. [Argania spinosa  (L.) Skeels].  94th Annual International Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences.(poster 275).  HortScience 32:p474 (June 1997).

19. Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, Y. (1998). Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) experience in Israel. In: Proceedings of the 2nd IPALAC workshop on ber and it’s uses.  1998 Harare, Zimbabwe.

20. Tel-Zur, Neomi, Abbo, S., Myslabodski, D., and Mizrahi, Y. (1998). A modified CTAB DNA extraction protocol for epiphytic cacti of the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus. In:  The proceedings of the International Workshop on the Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation of Columnar Cacti and their Mutualists.  Tehuacan City,  Mexico. 28 June -3 July 1998.

21. Pompan, H., Pasternak, D., and Mizrahi, Y.  (1998).  Effect of salinity on vase-life of cut branches in several Eucaliptus trees and shrub species. In the proceedings of XXV International Horticultural Congress (IHC) Brussels 2-7 August.  Abstract page 5, T1/01/0/ Ornamentals-4 (Lecture).

22. Mizrahi, Y. and Nerd, A. (1998).  New Arid Lands Fruit Crops: Climbing and Columnar Cacti.  Proceedings of the Fourth National Meeting of the American Society for New Crops.  8-11 November. Phoenix Arizona (Invited lecture).   

23. Guttman, F., Nerd, A., Mizrahi. Y., Bar-Zvi, D. and Rave, D. (1998).  Amplification of random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Markers for Identification of marula genotypes. Proceedings of the Fourth National Meeting of the American Society for New Crops.  8-11 November. Phoenix Arizona (poster).

24. Mizrahi. Y., and Nerd. A. (1999).  Usage of various cactus species as fruit and vegetable crops in Israel.  VIII National Congress and VI International Congress on Usages of of Nopal.  San Luis Potosi .  SLP. Mexico. 5-11 September 1999. (Invited Lecture).

25. Mizrahi. Y., Kaplan. R.N., Nerd. A., and Sitrit. Y.(2000).  Stomatal density and daily opening in relation to water loss during storage in red and yellow pitayas. (Lecture) In the Abstracts of Postharvest 2000.  Jerusalem  March 26-31, 2000 page 2.

26. Nerd. A., Sitrit. Y., and Mizrahi. Y. (2000).  Harvest and storage conditions for fruits of pitayas. (poster) In the Abstracts of Postharvest 2000. Jerusalem  March 26-31, 2000 page 55.

27. Mizrahi, Y., Nerd, A., and Sitrit, Y (2001).  Effect of light on flowering in the fruit –producing epiphytic vine cacti Hylocereus undatus and H. polyrhizus  XX Congress of the Scandinavian Society for Plant Physiology.  Roros, Norway June 18-20 2001.  Abstract A7 Page 22.

28. Tel-Zur, N., Abbo, S., Bar-Zvi, D. and Mizrahi, Y. (2001).  Hybridization between species and genera of fruit-crop vine cacti of the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus  98^th International Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science.  Sacramento, CA.  July 22-25. 2001. Page 441.

29. Kaushik, R. A.’ Pelah. D., Mizrahi, Y. and Sitrit, Y. (2001).  Plant regeneration from seedling explants of the vine cactus Selenicereus megalanthus (yellow pitaya) (2001). 98^th International Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science.  Sacramento, CA.  July 22-25. 2001. Page 457

30. Leshem., Y. Nerd, A. and Mizrahi, Y. (2001).  Fruit development and cracking in  Cereus peruvianus (L.) Miller – Anew cactus crop. 98^th International Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science.  Sacramento, CA.  July 22-25. 2001. Page 601.

31. Ninio, R., Sitrit, Y., Lewinsohn, E. and Mizrahi , Y. (2001).  Formation and accumulation of flavor compounds in Cereus peruvianus fruit during ripening.  The Annual Conference of the Israeli Society of Plant Sciences.  Rehovot, Israel.  4 April 2001.

7. ACHIEVEMENTS IN APPLIED RESEARCH

The major reason for the very low yields of jojoba in our area (flower bud dormancy) was determined and an efficient agricultural solution to this  problem was proposed which involves irrigation and fertilization. Today all jojoba plantations are fertigated to optimize yields.

The hypothesis that non-ripening tomato mutants can be used for the prolongation of tomato shelf life was shown to be true.  From a practical point of view, the problem of shelf life has been solved.  These cultivars have been passed on to commercial seed companies and offered to Israeli farmers as new varieties for export as early as 1982.  This achievement is the result of a joint project between me, as a plant physiologist, and Prof. Kedar of the Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a tomato breeder and geneticist.  Today all Israeli cultivars are hybrids of these non-ripening mutants.  These Israeli hybrids are exported for seeds all over the world.

Saline water irrigation has been proved to yield high-quality tomato and melon fruits.  This finding was the basis for the establishment of the "Desert sweet" lines successfully grown today for export in the Israeli Negev Desert.

Prickly pear ripens in most of Israel at the end of July-beginning of August, hence earning a low price per unit.  By physiological manipulation through irrigation and fertilization we were able to induce second flowering wave in September.  In warm areas, fruit can ripen in winter and earn very high prices as "out-of-season crop".  These techniques are used today by farmers in Pithat-Shalom as well as in the vicinity of  the Sea of Galilee.  (Publication 49).

The first semi commercial orchards of  cactus apple (Cereus peruvianus)  and  Pitahaya  Hylocereus and Selenicereus  sp both newly introduced fruit species were planted in 1993 at four locations in the southern part of Israel.  In 1996 10 tons of pitahaya were exported to Europe and around 1 ton of cactus apple was sold in the domestic market.  Both yielded a good income to the growers, and prospects for their development into export crops with low water requirements( i.e., high water use efficiency) are excellent.  To date over 230 Dunams of Pitahaya and 130 Dunams of cactus apple (named by AGREXCO as Koubo- Trade name) are planted around the country and both are sold for prime prices both in Europe and the domestic market.

Desert Exotic Company was established on August 1999 in Ein Habesor in the Western Negev.  This company produces various exotic food products made of the exotic fruits we introduced.  The emphasis at this moment is on liqueurs made of marula, koubo and cactus pear.  Samples were sent on October 2000 to various foreign countries for market analysis.  Dr. Genady Goldman who worked in my lab for 4 years developed the food technology know-how

Desert Fruit Company was established on March 2000 in Kibbutz Yahel in the Arava valley by Dr. Genady Goldman and Dr. Alexander Chechelnizky both from the former Soviet Union.  Dr. Chechelnizky was working in my lab for 3 years with the support of the special fund to support new immigrants in science.  Both scientists developed the fruit drying know-how .