Bananas

About 70% of Israel’s banana crop is grown in the Northern R&D region.
Banana-growing activity takes place in two growing regions – the Jordan Valley and the Western Galilee, each of which has unique growing characteristics. This year (2015) a new researcher, Dr. Navot Gelpaz, began working; with the commencement of his tenure the targets and research directions of this branch are being redefined.

The main issues involved in growing bananas:
1. Improving water-use efficiency
2. Fertilizer and nutrition under different growing conditions
3. Promoting varieties that will allow efficiency of man power use – maintaining plantation height
4. New growing methods to extend plantation life.

This year (2015) the banana branch was damaged by a frost event that caused plantation death, mainly in the Western Galilee and to a small extent in the Jordan Valley.