TRIGO!!!

Una contribución Israeli más.

Muchos soldados Israelies usan sus especialedades que les fueron enseñados en el IDF (Ejercito -Fuerzas de defensa de Israel) para beneficio de la humanidad.

Un caso en punto es una empresa de reciente formación llamada NRGene, empezada por antiguos miembros de la celebrada unidad del IDF antimisiles.

Por décadas, geneticistas alrededor del mundo trabajaron en crear un mapa del  genoma del trigo del pan. El esfuerzo se volvió tan tedioso (el del trigo es cinco veces mayor que el tamaño del código genético humano) que muchos científicos lo desecharon como un esfuerzo incapaz se vencer.

Allí es cuando NRGene se involucró en él.  Siendo ya algunos de ellos considerados como los mejores del mundo en descifrar complejos códigos computacionales decidieron tomarse el trabajo sobre el código genético del trigo.

Al cabo de unos meses, NRGene consiguió descifrar (y hacer un mapa) del genoma de una variedad local de trigo conocido como Emmer silvestre.

A sido declarado por investigadores de las universidades de Haifa, Tel Aviv, que también son participantes en el International “Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium”, como un gran paso.

El Consortium ha publicado por primera vez la secuencia completa del genoma del trigo del pan. El rol de NRGene en este logro, que muchos lo consideran sin exageración como igualmente importante como fue la evolución (domesticación) del trigo hace miles de años.

Pero, por que es tan importante?

Los científicos involucrados, así como los investigadores en muchos otros campos, han estado advirtiendo por años del aumento de la crisis de la creciente disminución de la producción de productos alimenticios.

La población mundial crece a un paso mayor que la producción de comida.

El éxito logrado en hacer el mapa del genoma del trigo permitirá ahora a los científicos y agricultores manipular y desarrollar variedades que sean más resistentes a los climas hostiles y condiciones adversas de crecimiento, y producir mayores cosechas.


www. nrgene. com

Granja en el techo de un centro comercial crece vegetales hidropónicos

Rooftop Farm Grows Veggies Sans Soil : Environment News

Buying organic and locally grown produce is a raging trend that is here to stay. And a new project in Israel called “Green in the City” is taking the trend to a whole new level, literally.

‘Green in the City’ grows mostly organic vegetables in floating beds of water (without soil) on the rooftop of Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv’s central mall complex. Started by Mendi Falk, the project aims to bring the farm to the city, and fresh produce onto urban dwellers’ plates.

SEE ALSO: Israelis Create Enhanced Strains Of Fruits And Veggies 

Lettuce, basil, bok choy, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers are among the vegetables grown on Falk’s compact, 100-square-meter rooftop farm. And while just about anything can be grown on the farm, Falk concentrates mainly on leafy vegetables because they have the shortest life cycles.

Urban agriculture requires less water, no soil

The science behind this intriguing project is hydroponics, a type of gardening that grows plants using very little nutrient-rich water solutions and without any soil. There are different types of hydroponic systems, but they all essentially work by pumping just the right amount of nutrients and water directly to the plants’ roots. Unlike traditional agriculture, hydroponic gardening gives the grower control over the plants’ watering and feeding cycles, as well as over the strength and acidity of the nutrient solution that is given to the plants.

SEE ALSO: Buy Your Food Straight From The Local Farmers With Farmigo

Falk’s farm also utilizes an aquaponics system: fish are grown in a tank that is connected to the plant growing beds, with water circulating between each other. The plants take in nutrients from the fish tank’s waste and clean the water that is pumped back into it.

The advantages are numerous: First and foremost, the plants grow faster and produce greater yields. These systems also take up less space, rule out the need for pesticides (since plant diseases and parasites are mostly soil-borne), and require less weeding. In addition, the rooftop garden needs less water as hydroponics uses 70 to 90 percent less water than conventional gardening.

“Harvested just 15 minutes before being served on the customer’s plate”

According to Falk, customers can taste the difference. “The taste is different not because the produce is growing in hydroponic systems, but because people are not used to eating fresh vegetables,” he tells NoCamels. “They’re used to eating vegetables that have been sitting in their refrigerator for days. Our vegetables are organic, pesticide-free, and truly fresh, because oftentimes they are harvested just 15 minutes before being served on the customer’s plate.”

Green in the City is a joint venture between Dizengoff Center and Falk’s company Living Green – which sells hydroponic and aquaponics systems to private consumers. “We believe that urban agriculture should be more spread throughout the city,” Falk says. “Since the farm is located on top of a popular space, people can easily come and see that the hydroponic method is not that complicated and they will be inspired to grow their own vegetables in their homes with hydroponic systems.”

A solution for world hunger? 

The farm’s produce is currently sold to two restaurants in Dizengoff Center – Café Greg and Garden Restaurant – as well as to Dizengoff Center’s farmers market for about $1 per unit, as opposed to organic vegetables sold at local supermarkets, which on average cost $2.5 per kilo. Falk says that 100 square meters are not enough to run a financially sustainable farm, and plans to expand to a 500-square-meter space on the Center’s roof in the coming months.

His vision for hydroponic systems extends way beyond his own business interests. “I think this is a part of a bigger solution for world hunger,” Falk explains. “Of course, hydroponics will not replace traditional agriculture as the major source of food, but in countries where there is not enough fertile ground or enough water, hydroponics can provide a much needed solution.”

Convirtiendo desiertos en paraísos…

Desde que el ingeniero de agua israelí Simcha Blass, revolucionó el concepto de riego por goteo, se ha convertido en una gran industria israelí que ha estado ayudando a las naciones del mundo se alimentan a su gente. En Kenya, Senegal, Sudáfrica, Benin y Níger, a las personas que padecen hambre se les están ayudando a producir más alimentos, muchas veces en, tierras estériles y secas. La nación que ha de ser «una luz para las naciones» está ayudando a las naciones hambrientas a comer. Gracias a Dios por Israel!


Since an Israeli water engineer, Simcha Blass, revolutionized the concept of drip irrigation it has become a large Israeli industry that has been helping nations of the world feed their people. In Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Benin and Niger, hungry people are being helped to produce more food, many times on dry, infertile land. The nation who is to be “a light to the nations” is helping the hungry nations eat. Thank God for Israel!