Israeli farmers in the Arava region have registered what is believed to be a world record yield of capsicum.
The growers have achieved 40 tonnes an acre, using the FAR 7158 capsicum variety bred and developed by Dr Yonatan Elkind, below left, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s faculty of agriculture, whereas the world average yield is 24t an acre in greenhouses or net-houses.
Breeding was carried out for seed specialist Zeraim Gedera.
Farmers in Arava attained the record yield mainly due to their ability to adapt the growing conditions to suit the prevalent environmental conditions in the region.
Co-operation between farmers in Arava and Zeraim Gedera resulted in the development of capsicum varieties that are more disease resistant, full-bodied and have long shelf-life potential.
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