Michael Raviv Ph.D.

Section of Ornamental Horticulture
Newe Ya'ar Research Center
Agricultural Research Organization
P.O.Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
Center for Floriculture in Arid Regions (CeFAR)

Research Interests

• Optimization of irrigation and nutrition control of greenhouse plants (especially roses) grown in porous media
• Recirculation of greenhouses' rose effluents
• Rose growth under low osmotic potential
• Breeding and selection of superior rose rootstocks for productivity and saline conditions
• Developing spectrally-modified greenhouse covers to affect morphogenesis of plants and pathogens.
• Composting of organic wastes and the use of composts

Recent Publications

• Silber, A. and M. Raviv (1996). Effects on chemical surface properties of tuff by growing rose plants. Plant and Soil 186: 353-360.
• Reuveni, R. and M. Raviv (1997). Control of downy mildew in greenhouse-grown cucumbers using blue photoselective polyethylene sheets. Plant Dis. 81: 999-1004.
• Seginer, I., M. Teitel, M. Raviv, and I. Zlutzin (1997). Canopy cooling in greenhouses. Inter. Water & Irrigation Review 17 (2): 15.
• Raviv, M., A. Krasnovsky and Sh. Medina (1997). Minimal water discharge growing system: Characteristics at a steady-state situation. Acta Hort. 450: 133-138.
• Raviv, M. and Sh. Medina (1997). Physical characteristics of separated cattle manure compost. Compost Science & Utilization 5: 44-47.
• Raviv, M., B. Zaidman and Y. Kapulnik (1998). The use of compost as a peat substitute for organic vegetable transplants production. Compost Science & Utilization 6: 46-52.
• Raviv, M., A. Silber and Sh. Medina (1998). The effect of medium disinfestation on cut rose productivity and on some chemical properties of tuff. Scientia Horticulturae 74: 285-293.
• Raviv, M., A. Krasnovsky, Sh. Medina and R. Reuveni (1998). Assessment of various control strategies for recirculation of greenhouse effluents under semi-arid conditions. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology (Formerly: The Journal of Horticultural Science) 73:485-491.
• Raviv, M., R. Reuveni and B.Z. Zaidman (1998). Improved medium for organic transplants. Biol. Agric. and Hort. 16:53-64.
• Raviv, M. and R. Reuveni (1998). Fungal photomorphogenesis: A basis for the control of foliar diseases using photoselective covering materials for greenhouses. Feature article. HortScience. 33: 925-929.
• Raviv, M., Reuveni, R. Krasnovsky, A., Medina, Sh., Freiman, L. and A. Bar. (1998). Compost as a controlling agent against Fusarium wilt of sweet basil. Acta Hort. 469: 375-381, 371.
• Raviv, M. (1998). Horticultural uses of composted materials. Invited lecture. Acta Hort. 469: 225-234.
• Raviv, M., R. Wallach, A. Silber, Sh. Medina and A. Krasnovsky (1999). The effect of hydraulic characteristics of volcanic materials on yield of roses grown in soilless culture. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci 124: 205-209.
• Raviv, M., Sh. Medina and Y. Shamir (1999). Cocomposting - a method to improve results of poultry manure composting. Compost Science & Utilization. (Accepted for publication).
• Raviv, M., D.W. Burger and J.H. Lieth (2000). Microcalorimetry: Anovel approach to decision making in cut rose production. Acta Hort. (In press).
• Raviv, M. and T. J. Blom (2001). The effect of water availability and Quality on photosynthesis and productivity of soilless-grown cut roses ­ A Review. Scientia Horticulturae (In press).

  Registered cultivars

• Raviv, M. (1995). "Sharon" - a Rosa indica Major cultivar, selected for its yield inducing capacity as rootstock for cut rose cultivars of the "Sweetheart" group. 1995. Registration No. 2304/94.

  Editorial Responsibilities

• Editor, ISHS' 2nd International Symposium on Propagation of Ornamental Plants, Acta Horticulturae 314 (1992).
• Editor, Composting: Environmental and economic aspects of composted materials and their use. Book of abstracts of the Israeli-UK Binational Workshop (1995).
• Editor, Research in Organic Agriculture. Agricultural Research in Israel. ARO, Bet Dagan. Vol. 8 (1-2). 218 pp. In Hebrew with English abstracts (1996).
• Member of the Editorial Board: Biological Agriculture and Horticulture (1999-2001).

Current Projects

• Transpirational cooling of greenhouse crops. Funded by BARD.
• Minimized oxygen stress in closed nutrient systems enabling high-flux nutrient supply. Funded by DIARP.
• Modeling the effect of water availability on rose productivity. Funded by American Roses Inc./ J.H. Hill Memorial Foundation.
• Improving quality of organic transplants. Funded by the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Biological and Chemical aspects of water recirculation in greenhouses. Funded by the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Breeding of superior rose rootstocks. Funded by the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Optimization of irrigation control of container-grown plants. Funded by the Ministry of Agriculture.