Expert Details
Plant Tissue Culture, Micropropagation, Plant propagation, agriculture development
ID: 726011
Israel
His main areas of studies included: Horticulture, Plant Physiology, Plant Tissue Culture, Plant Genetics, Plant Secondary Metabolites and Plant biochemistry.
Expert's work experience included many years and various roles in a large micropropagation company as well as different consulting activities in several countries. In this regard: Developing work-plans and budgets for research and production; Coordination of research and production activities of several participants (from the private and the public sectors) from various countries; Organizing seminars and workshops as well as training programs participants from various countries; Preparation of work programs and various reports (meeting reports, status reports, reviews, etc.) as well as training guidelines;Development of several research partnerships between companies and other private and public organizations. In this contest, assuring adequate flow of information and developing of channels for information flow were also addressed; Consulting large agricultural projects involved with field crops as well as fruits and vegetables, introducing new plant varieties and using novel equipment and technologies in developing country;
Among his career achievements were invention and adapting of tissue culture and acclimatization (hardening) protocols, improvement of tissue culture production processes, establishing of QC system for tissue culture and solving accute problems of microbial contamination thus minimizing company's loss.
Agricultural development. Horticulture. He has long experience of working at agriculture development in developing countries. In recent program that he coordinated (smallholder horticulture, USAID, MASHAV and Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture) he developed and applied as the program's coordinator a unique sustainable approach to agriculture development. He created effective network with program staff, government and program beneficiaries (for additional reading SHH program website that I introduced: http://smallholdershorticulture.com). This recent
program in Ethiopia completely changed major fruit trees (avocado and mango) scene in Ethiopia by massive introduction of international varieties through sustainable profit-oriented nurseries that the program developed. In the framework of this program he trained hundreds of local experts and disseminated technical information (manual, survey, sourceook, etc) and weekly communicate to all the program's stakeholders.
During his professional career he was involved several events of transfer of plant tissue culture techniques to overseas partners in developing countries (India, Equador, Egypt). These technology transfer processes included the following major aspects: Preparation of functional design for commercial tissue culture laboratories. Conveying the functional design to overseas partners and engineering companies. Identifying local producers and suppliers of laboratory equipment and supplies, nursery provisions and other agricultural inputs. Training of a tissue culture laboratory team and nursery personnel in various aspects of modern laboratory and nursery operation through training programs, seminars and workshops. In this regard, he prepared the necessary training materials such as training syllabus and class programs, protocols, etc. Follow up, continued consulting and troubleshooting. In this regard, he applied QC protocols in a micropropagation company in Egypt and consequently decreased dramatically its loss due to microbial contamination. Expert served as a chief consultant on agronomy to an Indian company (with international shareholders). The company was mainly involved in the provision of various services to state projects of small farmers. In this regard the company recruited the farmers to the project, provided hydrology survey and irrigation system planning and installation, agronomy planning & extension services, and marketing of agri-produce. Expert was involved in the agronomic planning, extension and marketing services to state projects introducing modern agricultural inputs and technologies to small farmers. Some of the important activities performed under this role were: Introduction of new plant species to the projects. Leading a vegetative selection program for local varieties together with the company's agronomists, local farmers and a local Ag-biotechnology company. Introducing of a program for supply of virus free plant material of potato to project farmers. A few virus free plants of the local variety were provided by a national institute, initially propagated in vitro by local Ag-biotechnology company and further propagated by his team under insect proof net-house conditions. These plants will produce mini-tubers that will be the source of a virus free plant material for the region. Preparations of source book and package of practices for fruits and vegetables for the company's agronomist team. Preparation and convey of seminars to the company agronomists and to farmers. Establishment of marketing ties between local farmers and supermarket chains and processing companies. Opening of several export options for fresh fruits and vegetables. Recruiting of quality agri-inputs suppliers to work in the project regions. Presentation of company's plans to state government. Market development for agri-produce including fresh and processed products for local and export markets.He conducted feasibility study and business plan preparation for the establishing of plant propagation business in Uganda. The process included market research and products selection, description of projected production system, investment prediction, projected cash flow, suggested collaborations, required human resources, and time table.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1994 | Degree: PhD | Subject: Plant biochemistry | Institution: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
Year: 1990 | Degree: MSc | Subject: Plant tissue culture | Institution: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
Year: 1981 | Degree: BSc | Subject: Horticulture | Institution: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 2005 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: R&D Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert is a co-founder and the R&D Director of Ecoseal Ltd., a start-up that provides new agricultural input to protected cultivation. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2005 to 2008 | Employer: Bio-Oz Biotechnologies Ltd. | Title: Business development | Department: |
Responsibilities:As a consultant of Bio-Oz, he developed additional uses for the company's unique inoculation devices and started their local and international marketing activity. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2003 to 2004 | Employer: BHC Agro India Ltd. | Title: Chief Agronomist | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert lead a group of local and foreign agronomy experts that provided extension services to agricultural projects at several states of India. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1994 to 2003 | Employer: Rahan Meristem (1998) Ltd. | Title: Managing Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:He served as managing director of Rahan Meristem during two terms. Rahan Meristem is a leader in micropropagation and plant biotechnology. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2009 to 2013 | Employer: MASHAV | Title: Coordinator USAID-MASHAV-MoA Ethiopia | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert served as coordinator of the Joint Technical Cooperation Program and the Smallholder Horticulture Program. These tri-lateral programs (USAID, MASHAV and the Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia) focused on Horticulture development in Ethiopia. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2015 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:The expert work as consultant in the area of Horticulture at different countries in Africa and Asia. His current consulting areas include: fruit tree nursery propagation, plant tissue culture, fruit tree plantations. |
Government Experience
Years | Agency | Role | Description |
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Years: 2005 to Present | Agency: CINADCO, Ministry of Agriculture, Israel | Role: Coordinator | Description: Biotechnology Coordinator, CINADCO–USAID project in Ethiopia. Propagation of elite plant material using biotechnological tools. Demonstration and capacity building. |
Years: 2002 to 2002 | Agency: CINADCO and the government of Nepal | Role: Survey mission | Description: A survey mission for the government of Nepal (2002). Surveying the plant biotechnology industry in Nepal and recommending the routes for its development (Mashav, CINADCO and the Government of Nepal). |
Years: 2009 to 2013 | Agency: MASHAV | Role: Coordinator | Description: Coordinator of Joint Technical Program and Small Holders Horticulture Programs, USAID-MASHAV-MoA in Ethiopia. International development program on Horticulture: Plant propagation, Extension, Capacity building. (for additional reading SHH program website: http://smallholdershorticulture.com) |
International Experience
Years | Country / Region | Summary |
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Years: 2005 to Present | Country / Region: Ethiopia | Summary: Biotechnology Coordinator, CINADCO–USAID project in Ethiopia. Propagation of elite plant material using biotechnological tools. Demonstration and capacity building. |
Years: 2003 to 2004 | Country / Region: India | Summary: Chief Consultant. BHC Agro (India). Agronomic planning, extension and marketing services to state projects introducing modern agricultural inputs and technologies to small farmers. |
Years: 2002 to 2002 | Country / Region: Nepal | Summary: A survey mission for the government of Nepal (2002). Surveying the plant biotechnology industry in Nepal and recommending the routes for its development (CINADCO and the Government of Nepal). |
Years: 2000 to 2003 | Country / Region: Egypt | Summary: Consultant. NADCO (Egypt). Supervising a micropropagation laboratory. Key achievement: solving of microbial contamination problem and increasing annual production from 50,000 plants to 500,000 plants (company's planting requirement). |
Years: 2009 to 2013 | Country / Region: Ethiopia | Summary: Coordinator of Joint Technical Program and Small Holders Horticulture Programs, USAID-MASHAV-MoA in Ethiopia. International development program on Horticulture: Plant propagation, Extension, Capacity building. |
Additional Experience
Training / Seminars |
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Expert developed several training seminars to train micropropagation laboratory personnel and new recruits in several countries (Israel, Egypt, India, Ethiopia, etc.). He facilitated training programs for hundreds of trainees on areas of nursery propagation, micropropagation and horticulture extension. |
Vendor Selection |
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As part of the process of designing and constructing new micropropagation laboratories and fruit tree nurseries, he was involved in the sourcing of various vendors (engineering companies, building contractors, equipment suppliers, etc.) |
Marketing Experience |
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Expert has a vast knowledge and understanding of the plant propagation, agricultural development and protected cultivation industries. His expertise includes surveys and recommendations to organizations and states at these fields. |
Other Relevant Experience |
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He provided trouble shooting and quality assurance services to micropropagation companies. |
Language Skills
Language | Proficiency |
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English | Expert has very good English speaking, reading and writing capabilities. |
Spanish | Expert has limited capabilities of speaking, reading and writing in Spanish. |
Fields of Expertise
plant tissue culture, micropropagation, tissue culture medium, agricultural development, horticulture, micro irrigation, agricultural management, greenhouse vegetable production, commercialization, agricultural biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, plant (botanical), plant taxonomy, gibberellic acid, plant growth, culture medium, plant genetic engineering, agricultural production, agricultural research, experimental agriculture, product management, product testing, microbial control product development, agribusiness, product improvement, corporate strategic planning, product development cycle time, productivity improvement, integrated product development, alternative crop utilization, device product development, material product development, production process, productivity measurement (quantity), product cost reduction, new product development, research and development, research and development management, sustainable agriculture, new product development management, innovation, genetically engineered material, agricultural pest, research and development productivity, production control, plant breeding, plant biotechnology, greenhouse, botany, agriculture