Alon Ben-Gal

Alon Ben-Gal

Environmental Physics and Irrigation. Agricultural Research Organization

Gilat Research Center. Mobile post Negev 85280, Israel

Research interests and Professional Expertise

Plant response to environmental stress conditions. Irrigation of crops. Agricultural utilization of saline water and of recycled wastewater. Optimization of water under irrigation in arid regions. Flow and transport of water and solutes in the vadose zone. Agricultural systems.

Education

Ph.D. Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel 2003

M.Sc. Soil, Environmental Science, Cum Laude

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 1994

B.Sc. Agrarian Studies: Soil and Water Science, Cum Laude

The University of California, Davis, CA. 1985

Professional Experience

2009-2010Visiting Scientist. Soil Physics, Ecohydrology and Groundwater Management Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands.

2007 - Senior Research Scientist. Agricultural Research Organization, Gilat Research Center. Department of Environmental Physics and Irrigation, Institute of Soil Water and Environmental Sciences.

2004 -2007Research Scientist (Environmental Physics and Irrigation). Gilat Research Center. Agricultural Research Organization, Israel

2002 - 2004Research Scientist (Agricultural Water Use Efficiency). Arava Research and Development, Yotvata, Israel

2001- 2002Post-doctoral fellowship (Soil Science). Utah State University. Logan, UT

1994 - 2001Research Assistant. Arava Research and Development

1992 - 1994Research Assistant. National Center for Mariculture. Eilat, Israel

1990 - 1991Research Technician. Arava Research and Development

1987 - 1990Irrigation Manager. Kibbutz Ketura, Israel

Publications (Reviewed)

1. Veste, M., Ben-Gal, A., Breckle, S.-W. & Shani, U. (2000) Impact of thermal stress and high VPD on gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of Citrus grandis under desert conditions, Acta Horticulturae 531:143-149.

2. Ben-Gal A and Shani U. (2002) A highly conductive drainage extension to control the lower boundary condition of lysimeters. Plant and Soil, 239:9-17.

3. Ben-Gal A and Shani U (2002) Yield, transpiration and growth of tomatoes under combined excess boron and salinity stress. Plant and Soil, 247:211-221.

4. Ben-Gal A., Karlberg L., Jansson P-E and Shani U. (2003). Temporal robustness of linear relationships between production and transpiration. Plant and Soil, 251: 211-218.

5. Ben-Gal A and Dudley L (2003) Phosphorus availability under continuous point-source irrigation. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 67: 1449-1456.

6. Shenker M, Ben-Gal A and Shani U (2003) Sweet corn response to combined nitrogen and salinity environmental stresses. Plant and Soil 256:139-147.

7. Ben-Gal A and Shani U (2003) Water Use and Yield of Tomatoes under combined excess boron and water stress. Plant and Soil, 256:179-186.

8. Ben-Gal A, Lazorovitch N and Shani U (2004) Subsurface drip irrigation in gravel filled cavities. The Vadose Zone Journal. 3:1407-1413.

9. Shani U and Ben-Gal A. (2005) Long-term response of grapevines to salinity: osmotic effects and ion toxicity. Am. J. Enol. Vit. 56:148-154.

10. Shani U., Ben-Gal A., and Dudley L. (2005) Environmental implications of adopting a dominant factor approach to salinity management. J. Envir. Qual. 34: 1455-1460.

11. Karlberg, L., Ben-Gal, A., Jansson, P-E. and Shani, U. (2006) Modelling transpiration and growth in salinity-stressed tomato under different climatic conditions. Ecological Modelling, 190. 15-40.

12. Lazarovitch, N., Ben-Gal A., and Shani U. (2006) An automated rotating lysimeter system for greenhouse evapotranspiration studies. Vadose Zone Journal. 5:801-804.

13. Segal, E., Ben-Gal, A., and Shani U. (2006) Root water uptake efficiency under ultra-high irrigation frequency. Plant and Soil. 282:333-341.

14. Yermiyahu, U., Ben-Gal, A. and Sarig, P. (2006). Boron toxicity in grapevines. HortScience. 41:1698-1703.

15. Lazarovitch, N., Ben-Gal A., Simunek J. and Shani U. (2007) Uniqueness of soil hydraulic parameters determined by a combined wooding-inverse approach. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 71, 860-865

16. Ben-Gal, A. (2007) The contribution of foliar exposure to boron toxicity. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 30, 1705-1716.

17. Yermiyahu U., Ben-Gal, A., Sarig, P., and Zippilevitch E. (2007) Boron toxicity in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) in conjunction with salinity and rootstock effects. J. of Hortic. Sci. and Biotech. 82, 547-554.

18.Tripler E, Ben-Gal A., Shani U. (2007) Consequence of salinity and excess boron on growth, evapotranspiration and ion uptake in date palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L., cv. Medjool). Plant and Soil. 297,147-155.

19. Shani, U., Ben-Gal, A. Tripler E. and Dudley, L.M. (2007) Plant response to the soil environment: an analytical model integrating yield, water, soil type and salinity. Water Resources Res. Vol. 43, W08418, 10.1029/2006WR005313

19*Shani, U., Ben-Gal, A., Tripler, E. and Dudley L. M. (2009) Correction to “Plant response to the soil environment: An analytical model integrating yield, water, soil type, and salinity”, Water Res. Res., 45, W05701, doi:10.1029/2009WR008094.

20. Yermiyahu U., Tal A., Ben-Gal A., Bar-Tal, A.,Tarchitzky J. and Lahav, O. (2007) Rethinking desalinated water quality and agriculture, Science, 318, 920-921.

21. Yermiyahu U., Ben-Gal A., Keren R. and Reid R.J. (2008). Combined effect of salinity and excess boron on plant growth and yield. Plant and Soil, 304, pp. 73-87.

22. Ben-Gal A, Ityel E, Dudley L., Cohen S, Yermiyahu U, Presnov E, Zigmond L, Shani U. (2008) Effect of irrigation water salinity on transpiration and on leaching requirements: A case study for bell peppers. Agric. Water Manag. 95, 587-597.

23. Dudley L., Ben-Gal A. and Shani U. (2008) Influence of plant, soil and water properties on the leaching fraction. Vadose Zone J. 7, 420-425.

24. Bar-Tal, A. Yermiyahu, U., Keinan, M., Faingold, I., and Ben-Gal, A. (2008) Boron deficiency and toxicity in young persimmon (Diospyrus kaki L.). J. of Hortic. Sci. and Biotech. 83, 469-473.

25. Ben-Gal, A., Dag, A., Yermiyahu, U., Zipori Y., Presnov, E., Faingold, I. and Kerem, Z. (2008) Evaluation of irrigation levels in a converted, rain fed olive orchard: the transition year. Acta Horticulturae. 792, 99-106.

26. Ben-Gal, A., Yermiyahu, U., Veste, M. and Shani, U. (2008) Irrigating table grapes in arid regions with low quality water: effects of salinity and excess boron. Acta Horticulturae. 792, 107-114.

27. Dag, A. Ben-Gal A., Yermiyahu U., Basheer L., Yogev N., and Kerem Z. (2008) The effect of irrigation level and harvest mechanization on virgin olive oil quality in a traditional rain-fed “Souri” olive orchard converted to irrigation. J. Science Food Agric. 88, 1524-1528.

28. Gross, A., Bernstein, A., Vulkan, R., Tarchitzky., J., Ben-Gal, A., and Yermiyahu, U., (2008) Simple digestion procedure followed by the azomethine-H method for accurate boron analysis and discrimination between its fractions in wastewater and soils. Chemosphere. 72, 400-406.

29. Erel R. Dag A Ben-Gal A Schwartz A and Yermiyahu U Flowering and fruit-set of young olive (Olea europea L. cv. Barnea) trees in response to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. (2008) J Am Soc Hort Sci 133, 639-647.

30. Dudley, L.M., Ben-Gal, A. and Lazarovitch, N. (2008) Drainage water reuse: biological, physical, and technological considerations for system management. Journal of Environmental Quality. 37, S25-S35.

31. Ben-Gal A. Yermiyahu U. and Cohen S. (2009) Fertilization and blending alternatives for irrigation with desalinated water. J Environ Qual 38:529-536.

32. Ben-Gal A, Neori-Borochov H, Yermiyahu U and Shani U. (2009) Is osmotic potential a more appropriate property than electrical conductivity for evaluating whole plant response to salinity? Environ Exp Botany.65, 232-237.

33. Ben-Gal A, Agam N, Alchanatis V, Cohen Y, Zipori I, Presnov E, Yermiyahu U, Sprintsin M, and Dag A. (2009) Evaluating water stress in irrigated olives: correlation of soil water status, tree water status and thermal imagery. Irrigation Science. 27, 367-376.

34. Dag A, Yermiyahu U, Ben-Gal A, Zipori I, and Kapulnik Y. (2009) Nursery and post-transplant field response of olive trees to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under arid conditions. Crop and Pasture Science. 60, 427-433.

35. Dag A, Ben-David E, Kerem Z, Ben-Gal A, Erel R, Basheer L, and Yermiyahu U. (2009) Olive Oil Composition as a Function of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Plant Nutrition.Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 89, 1871-1878.

36. Ben-Gal A, Kool D, Agam N, van Helsema G, Yermiyahu U, Yafe A, Presnov E, Erel R, Majdo A, Zipori I, Segal E, Rüger S, Zimmermann U, Cohen Y, Alchanatis V, Dag A. (2010) Whole-tree water balance and indicators for short-term drought stress in non-bearing ‘Barnea’ olives. Agric. Water Manag. 98, 124-133.

37. Ityel E., Lazarovitch N., Silberbush, M., and Ben-Gal A. (2011) An artificial capillary barrier to improve root zone conditions for horticultural crops: physical effects on water content. Irrigation Sci. 29, 171-180.

38. Ben-Gal A, Yermiyahu U, Zipori I, Presnov E, Hanoch E, and Dag A. (2011)The influence of bearing cycles on olive oil production response to irrigation. Irrigation Sci. 29, 253-263.

39. Segal E, Dag A, Ben-Gal A, Zipori A, Erel R, Suryanob S and Yermiyahu U, (2011) Olive orchard irrigation with reclaimed wastewater: agronomic and environmental considerations. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 40, 454-461.

40. Tripler E, Shani U, Mualem Y and Ben-Gal A. (2011) Long-term growth, water consumption and yield of date palm as a function of salinity. Agric. Water Manage.99, 128-134.

41. Ben-Gal, A., Dag, A., Basheer, L., Yermiyahu, U., Zipori, I., Kerem, Z. (2011)The influence of bearing cycles on olive oil quality response to irrigation. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 59, 11667–11675.

42. Ityel E., Lazarovitch N., Silberbush, M., and Ben-Gal A. (2012) An artificial capillary barrier to improve root zone conditions for horticultural crops: response of pepper, lettuce, melon and tomato. Irrigation Science. 30, 293-301.

43. Aviani, I., Raviv, M. Saadi, I. Hadar, Y. Dag, A. Ben-Gal, A. Yermiyahu, U. Zipori, I. Laor. Y. (2012) Effects of harvest date, irrigation level, cultivar type and fruit water content on olive mill wastewater generated by a laboratory scale 'Abencor' milling system.Bioresource Technolog. 107, 86-96.

44. Ityel E., Lazarovitch N., Silberbush, M., and Ben-Gal A. (2012) An artificial capillary barrier to improve root-zone conditions for horticultural crops: response of pepper plants to matric head and irrigation water salinity.Agric. Water Manag. 105, 13-20.

45. Dag, A., Erel, R., Ben-Gal, A., Zipori, I., Yermiyahu, U. (2012) The effect of olive tree stock plant nutritional status on propagation rates. HortScience, 47, 307-310.

46. Tripler E., Shani, U., Ben-Gal A., and Mualem Y. (2012) Apparent steady state conditions in high resolution weighing-drainage lysimeters containing date palms grown under different salinities. Agric Water Manag. 107, 66-73.

47. Shi, J., Ben-Gal A., Yermiyahu U., Wang, L., Zuo, Q. (2013) Characterizing root nitrogen uptake of wheat to simulate soil nitrogen dynamics. Plant and Soil,363:139–155.

48. Naor, A., Schneider, D., Ben-Gal A., Dag, A., Zipori, I., Kerem, Z., Birger, R., Peres, M., Gal, Y. (2013) The effects of crop load and irrigation rate in the oil accumulation stage on oil yield and water relations of field-grown ‘Koroneiki’ olives. Irrigation Science, 31, 781-791.

49. Agam N., Cohen Y., Alchanatis V., Ben-Gal A. (2013) How sensitive is the CWSI to changes in solar radiation? International Journal of Remote Sensing. 34, 6109-6120.

50. Agam N., Cohen Y., Alchanatis V., Berni J.A.J., Kool D., Dag A., Yermiyahu U., Ben-Gal A. (2013). An insight to the performance of crop water stress index for olive trees. Agric Water Manage. 118,79-86.

51. Bustan, A., Avnia, A., Yermiyahu, U., Ben-Gal, A., Riov, J., Erel, R., Zipori, I, and Dag, A. (2013) Interactions between fruit load and macro-element concentrations in fertigated olive (Olea europaea L.) trees under arid saline conditions. Scientia Horticulturae. 152, 44-55.

52. Groenveld, T. Ben-Gal A., Yermiyahu, U., Lazarovitch, N. (2013). Weather determined relative sensitivity of plants to salinity: quantification and simulation. Vadose Zone J. in press.doi:10.2136/vzj2012.0180

53. Ben-Gal, A, Weikard, H-P, Shah SH, van der Zee S. (2013) A coupled agronomic-economic model to consider allocation of brackish irrigation water. Water Resour. Res. 49, doi: 10.1002/wrcr.20258.

54. Holland, S., Heitman, J.L., Howard, A., Sauer, T.J., Giese, W., Ben-Gal, A., Agam, N., Kool, D., and Havlin J. (2013) Micro-Bowen ratio systems for measuring evapotranspiration in a vineyard inter-row. Agric Forest Meteorology. 177, 93-100.

55. Erel R., Yermiyahu U., van Opstal J., Ben-Gal A., Schwartz A., Dag A. (2013) The importance of olive (Olea europaea L.) tree nutritional status on its productivity.Scientia Horticulturae. 159, 8-18.

56. Yasour H., Beit-Yannai E, Ben-Gal A., Cohen S., Yermiyahu U. (2013)Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Greenhouse Bell Pepper: Agronomic and Environmental Implications. HortScience, 48, 1241-1249.

57. Agam, N., Segal, E., Peeters, A., Dag, A., Yermiyahu U., Ben-Gal, A. (2013) Spatial distribution of water status in irrigated olive orchard by thermal imaging. Precision Agriculture. doi.org/10.1007/s11119-013-9331-8.

58. Kool, D., Agam, N., Heitman, JL., Lazarovitch, N., Sauer, TJ. and Ben-Gal, A. (2014)A review of approaches for evapotranspiration partitioning. Agric Forest Meteorology, 184, 56-70.

59. Ityel E., Ben-Gal A., Silberbush, M., and Lazarovitch N. (2014)Root zone oxygen level in irrigated arid region horticulture can be artificially raised by a capillary barrier. Agricultural Water Management. 131, 108-114.

60. Erel, R., Kerem, Z., Ben-Gal A., Dag, A., Schwartz A., Zipori I., Basheer L., and Yermiyahu, U. (2014) Olive (Olea europaea L.) tree nitrogen status is a key factor for olive oil quality. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, DOI: 10.1021/jf4031585.

61. Holland, S., Howard, A., Heitman, J.L., Giese, W., Sutton, T., Agam, N., Ben-Gal, A., Havlin, J.L., and Sauer, T.J. (2014) Implications of an interrow fescue cover crop for below-canopy water dynamics in a North Carolina vineyard. Agronomy Journal.

62. Bustan A., Kerem Z., Yermiyahu U., Ben-Gal A., Lichter A., Droby S., Zchori-Fein E., Orbach D., Zipori I., and Dag A. (2014) Preharvest circumstances leading to elevated oil acidity in 'Barnea' olives. Scientia Horticulturae. 176, 11-21.

63. Ünlü ,M., Kanber, R., Levent Koç, D., Özekici, B., Kekeç, U., Yesiloğlu, T., Ortaş, İ., Ünlü, F., Kapur, B., Tekin, S., Käthner, J., Gebbers, R., Zude, M., Peeters, A., Ben-Gal, A. (2014) Irrigation scheduling of grapefruit trees in a Mediterranean environment throughout evaluation of plant water status and evapotranspiration. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry. 38, 908-915.

64. Kool, D., Ben-Gal, A., Agam, N., Šimůnek, J., Heitman, JL., Sauer, TJ. and Lazarovitch, N. (2014) Spatial and diurnal below canopy evaporation in a desert vineyard: measurements and modeling. Water Resour. Res., 50, doi:10.1002/2014WR015409.

65. Shi J., Yasour H., Yermiyahu U., Zuo Q., Ben-Gal A. (2014) Dynamic responses of wheat to drought and nitrogen stresses during re-watering cycles. Agric. Water Manag. 146, 163-172.

66. Erel R., Ben-Gal A., Dag, A., Schwartz A., Yermiyahu, U. (2014) Sodium replacement of potassium in physiological processes of olive trees (var. Barnea) as affected by drought. Tree Physiology. In Press.

67. Dag A, Naor A., Ben-Gal A., Harlev, G., Zipori, I., Schneider, D., Birger, R., Peres, M., Gal, Y., and Kerem Z. (2014) The effect of water stress on super-high density ‘Koroneiki’ olive oil quality J. Sci. Food Agric., In press.

68. Dag, A. Ben- Gal, A., Goldberg, S., Yermiyahu, U., .Zipori, I., Or, E., David, I., Netzer Y., and Kerem, Z. (2015) Sodium and chloride accumulation in woody tissue of Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) and in must as a function of rootstock and irrigation water salinity. Am J. Enol. Vit. 66, 80-84.

69. Peeters, A., Käthner, J., Zude, M., Ünlü, M., Kanber, R., Hetzroni, A., Gebbers, R., and Ben-Gal, A., (2015) Getis-Ord's hot- and cold-spot statistics as a basis for multivariate spatial clustering of tree-based data. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 111, 140-150.

70. Shi., J., Zuo Q., Li, S., Ben-Gal A. (2015) An index for plant water deficit based on root-weighted soil water content. J of Hydrology, 522, 285-294.

71. Erel, R. Yermiyahu, U., Dag A., Ben-Gal, A., Shapiro, O., Schwartz, A. (2015)Modification of non-stomatal limitation and photoprotection due to K and Na nutrition of olive trees.Journal of plant physiology.177, 1-10.

72. Zipori, I., †Yermiyahu, U., Erel, R., Presnov, E., Feingold, I., Dag, A.,Ben-Gal, A. (2015)The influence of irrigation level on olive tree nutritional status.Irrigation Science. 66, 80-84.

73. Ning, S., Zuo, Q., Shi, J., Wang, S. and Ben-Gal, A. (2015) Generalization of the root length density distribution of cotton under drip irrigation. Field Crops Research. 177, 125-136.

74. Silva Ruiz, M., Yasour, H., Ben-Gal, A., Yermiyahu U., Saranga, Y., Elbaum R. (2015)Fruit hypodermis thickening induced by salinity alters the texture of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ssp.) fruitsScientia Horticulturae, 192, 244-249.

75.Raveh, E., and Ben-Gal., A. (2015)Irrigation with water containing salts: evidence from a macro-data national case study in Israel. Agric Water Manag. 170, 176-179./

76.Bustan, A., Dag, A., Yermiyahu, U., Erel, R., Presnov, E., Agam, N., Kool, D., Iwema, J., Zipori, I. and Ben-Gal, A. (2016)Fruit load governs transpiration of olive trees. Tree Physiology, 36, 380-391.

77.Tugendhaft, Y. Eppel A, Kerem Z, Barazani O, Ben-Gal A, Kadereit JW and Dag A (2016)Drought tolerance of three olive cultivars alternatively selected for rain fed or intensive cultivation. Scientia Horticulturae . 199, 158-162.

78. Kool, D., Kustas, W.P., Ben-Gal, A., Lazarovitch, N., Heitman, J., Sauer, T., Agam, N. (2016)Energy and evapotranspiration partitioning in a desert vineyard. Agric Forest Meteorology. 218-219, 277-287.

79. Jin X., Zuo Q., Ma W., Li S., Shi J., Tao Y., Zhang Y., Liu Y., Liu X., Lin S. and Ben-Gal A. (2016) Water consumption and water-saving characteristics of a ground cover rice production system. J of Hydrology, 540, 220-231.

80. Raij, I., Šimůnek, J., Ben-Gal, A., Lazarovitch, N. (2016)Water flow and multicomponent solute transport in drip irrigated lysimeters. Water Resources Research, DOI: 10.1002/2016WR018930

81. Soda, N., Ephrath, J., Dag, A., Beiersdorf, I., Presnov, E., Yermiyahu, Ben-Gal, A. (2016)Root growth dynamics of olive (Olea europaea L.) affected by irrigation induced salinity. Plant Soil, DOI 10.1007/s11104-016-3032-9.

82. Ben-Gal, A., Beiersdorf, I., Yermiyahu, U., Soda, N., Presnov, E., Zipori, I., Ramirez Cristostomo, R., Dag, A. (2016)Response of bearing olive trees to irrigation induced salinity. Irrigation Science. DOI 10.1007/s00271-016-0525-5.

Book Chapters and Invited Review Papers (selected)

83. Ben-Gal, A., Tal, A., and Tel-Zur, N. (2006) The Sustainability of arid agriculture: trends and challenges. Annals of Arid Zone, 45, 227-258.

84. Ben-Gal, A.(2011). Sustainable water supply for agriculture in Israel.In: Alon Tal and Alfred Abed Rabbo, eds. Water Wisdom: Preparing the Groundwork for Cooperative and Sustainable Water Management in the Middle East. Rutgers University Press. ISBN: 978-0-8135-4771-8. pp 211-223.41.

85. Ben-Gal, A.(2011) Salinity and olive: from physiological responses to orchard management. Israel Journal of Plant Science. 59, 15-28.

86. Yermiyahu U., Ben-Gal A., and Keren R. (2011) Boron in treated wastewater. In: G. Levy, A. Bar-Tal and P. Fine (Eds.), Use of treated wastewater in agriculture: impacts on crop and soil environment. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK. pp 216-233.

87. Ben-Gal A, Naoum S, Yermiyahu U, Jitan M, Mazahreh N, Qaryouti M, Qawasmi M. (2012) Managing irrigation water with high concentrations of salts in arid regions. In: U.S. EPA Guidelines for Water Reuse. E58-E59.

88. Ben-Gal A., Yermiyahu U. and Dudley, L.M. (2013)Irrigation management under saline conditions.In: MOL 12, The Journal of the Science Society of Galicia. pp 8-32.

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c.v. Alon Ben-Gal