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Pedestrian Seeds Get the Right of Way

Most plants in the world spread their seeds by the wind and by bee pollination. But there are also quite a few seeds that are pedestrians. Seeds that stay on the ground and have to fend for themselves completely and start wandering to find a suitable place to germinate, and of course manage to do all this without being eaten - and they do it in a fascinating variety of ways.

How do they migrate? Does a seed have legs? How far does sperm travel? We talked about all these things, and more, with Prof. Rebecca Elbaum, the guest in this episode of HUJICAST.

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Sesame: From Ancient Seed to Modern Crop

Sesame seeds are healthy and tasty, but it’s a very labor-intensive crop, as pods must be picked by hand. As a result, sesame production has left Israel, moving entirely overseas. Now, Idan Sabag is working to bring it back. Together with Prof. Zvi Peleg, he is bringing sesame into modern agriculture, making it better suited for mechanized harvest. Idan Sabag is a doctoral student in the Department of Plant Sciences & Genetics in Agriculture
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Medicated Crops

Irrigating with Treated Wastewater

In a world facing increased water shortages, irrigating crops with treated wastewater isn’t just a good idea – it’s a necessity. But what happens when that wastewater contains traces of pharmaceuticals? Dr. Evyatar Ben Mordechay is analyzing how the pharmaceuticals that enter our sewage make their way into the agro-environment, and back into our bodies via crops we consume. Dr. Evyatar Ben Mordechay recently graduated and is now a postdoctoral researcher Department of Soil and Water Sciences.
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Salty & Dry: Plants Struggle to Survive


Healthy soil is critical for sustaining life on earth. In fact, every single bite of food starts as a plant growing in the ground. Dr. Yair Mau studies how the basic act of watering crops affects soil salinity, while gaining insights into basic processes that affect soil quality. He also studies how plants cope with environmental stressors posed by climate change. Dr. Yair Mau is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Soil and Water Sciences.