IN MEMORY OF

Prof. Ben Ami Bravdo

1933 - 2023

Research Interest

Cultural practices - mainly irrigation, fertilization and canopy management - effects on crop productivity. Control of root environment by drip fertigation as means for optimizing water and mineral use efficiency and increasing productivity Biochemical and physiological mechanisms involved in environmental effects on photosynthetic efficiency. Interactions between plant and environmental factors. Relationships between crop load and fruit and wine quality. Biosynthesis and metabolism of aroma compounds in fruit and wine. Effects of environmental stress (mainly salt and water) on plant productivity

Research Projects

• Effect of irrigation and fertigation on production and quality of table grapes. Funding: Israel ministry of Agriculture.
• Effect of saline water irrigation on fruit and wine quality in Ramat Negev. Funding: Ministry of Agriculture.
• Effect of effluent irrigation on production and oil quality of olives in Israel and in the Palestinian authority. Funding: Government of Belgium, CRB foundation.
• Development of an irrigation system based on leaf turgor monitoring, Funding: Israel Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Professional affiliation

Israel Botanical Society, International Society for Horticutural Science, American Society for Horticutural Science, American Society for Enology and Viticulture, American Society of Plant Physiologists. European Society of Plant Biologists, Society for International Development (SID). Office International de la Vigne et du Vin

Honors

1985. American Society of Enology and Viticulture, Best paper award.

Selected Publications

• Waggoner, P.E. and B. Bravdo. (1967). Stomata and the hydrological cycle. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 57:1069-1102.
• Bravdo, B. (1968). Decrease in net photosynthesis caused by respiration. Plant Physiol. 43:479-483.
• Assaf, R., B. Bravdo and I. Levin. (1974). Effects of irrigation according to water deficit in two different soil layers on yield and growth of apple trees. J. Hort. Sci. 49:53
• Bravdo, B. (1979). Photorespiration and its relation to photosynthetic efficiency of plants. (Review). What's New in Plant Physiology 9(11):41-43 (Review).
• Bravdo, B. and D. T. Canvin. (1979). Effect of CO2 on photorespiration. Plant Physiology  63:399-401. .
• Bravdo, B. and J.E. Pallas. (1982). Photosynthesis photorespiration and RuBP carboxylase oxygenase activity in six peanut cultivars. Photosynthetica 16(1):36-42 cultivars. Photosynthetica 16(1):36-42. .
• Bravdo, B., Y. Hepner, C. Loinger, S. Cohen and H. Tabacman. (1984). Effect of crop level on growth, yield and wine quality of a high yielding Carignane vineyard. Am. J. Enol. Vitic.  35(4):247-252. .
• Bravdo, B. and Y. Hepner. (1987). Water management and effect on fruit quality in grapevines. (Review) In: T. Lee, ed. Proc. of the Sixth Australian Industry Tech. Conf :150-158.
• Shoseyov, O., B. Bravdo, R. Ikan and I. Chet. (1988). Endo-beta-glucosidase from Aspergillus niger grown on a monoterpene glycoside-containing medium.Phytochemistry:27 (7) 1973-1976. ill.
• Bravdo, B., L. Levin and R. Assaf. (1991). Control of root size and root environment of fruit trees for optimal fruit production. J. Plant. Nutr. (15:699-712).
• Bravdo, B. and E.L. Proebsting (1993). Use of drip irrigation in orchards. Hortechnology (3: 44-49)