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PRESS CONTACT
Fleisher Communications and Public Relations
Amiram Fleisher
+972-3-6241241
[email protected]
Announcement
A unique Israel-based partnership is creating a new global
knowledge and research center for fertilizers and plant nutrition
At a new center to be set up in the Negev, Israel, advanced methods in fertilization and plant
nutrition will be investigated and developed. This knowledge is required now more than ever, in
light of the need for more and better food and increased efficiencies to respond to the growing
world population, decreasing agricultural land and the urgent need for better environmental
stewardship worldwide.
Tel Aviv, Israel, May 19, 2015 – The Center for Fertilization and Plant Nutrition (CFPN), a new
center for research and knowledge in the field of fertilizers and plant nutrition, is to be
established under a cooperation agreement between the Israeli Agricultural Research
Organization (ARO; Volcani Center) and ICL (NYSE and TASE: ICL).
CFPN will operate at the ARO Gilat Research Center in the Negev, with research conducted by
ARO scientists in partnership with colleagues from other research institutions. The center will
also closely collaborate with the regional council representing farmers in the area. Research will
be developed and expanded under various themes (see below) and CFPN will offer scholarships
and research grants to graduate and PhD students from Israel and other countries. In addition,
funds will be allocated to dissemination and sharing of research findings to a global audience
and to hosting international conferences, which will help cement Israel’s place as a world leader
in the field of fertilization and plant nutrition.
"Plant fertilization has a decisive impact on crop quantity and quality," emphasizes Nissim Adar,
CEO of ICL Fertilizers. "Optimizing and adapting fertilization to the needs of the crop leads to
increased yield per unit area, greater plant resistance to stresses, and improved crop quality. It
enables farmers to feed the growing population and to fight world hunger. "
However, despite the crucial importance of fertilization, and global awareness of the need to
increase the amount of food produced and its nutritional value, the number of researchers in
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this field is diminishing. "It is important for us to produce a new generation of researchers in
this field," says Prof. Yoram Kapulnik, Director of ARO. "It is clear that this knowledge is needed
today more than ever. Correct fertilization increases crop resistance to diseases and pests and
thus can help reduce the use of pesticides. It also allows plants to better cope with various
stresses, and can enhance the nutritive and health value of the produce. The shelf-life of the
crop after harvesting can also be extended.”
“This collaboration between ARO’s Volcani Center and ICL - a joint mobilization of the public,
private and agricultural sectors – will contribute to improving food security and ensuring food
supply in the future,” concludes Prof. Kapulnik.
CFPN research themes:
1.
Evaluation of new fertilizers and application methods on crops
3.
Create new soil and plant advanced nutrient diagnostic tools and methods
2.
4.
5.
Optimization of fertilization practices in selected crops
Identify and evaluate methods for recycling nutrients from organic and mineral waste
products
Development of fertilization practices to improve nutraceutical values in crops
6.
Study and development of materials and methods for advanced foliar fertilization
8.
Development of methods for improving soil health, postharvest practices and stress
resistance
7.
9.
Study and development of uptake enhancers of plant nutrient-use efficiency
Develop advanced knowledge transfer and share tools for plant nutrition in developing
countries
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About ICL
ICL is a global manufacturer of products based on specialty minerals that fulfil humanity’s essential
needs primarily in three markets: agriculture, food and engineered materials. The agricultural products
that ICL produces help to feed the world’s growing population. The potash and phosphates that it
mines and manufactures are used as ingredients in fertilizers and serve as an essential component in
the pharmaceutical and food additives industries. The food additives that ICL produces enable people
to have greater access to more varied and higher quality food. ICL’s water treatment products supply
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clean water to millions of people, as well as to industry around the world. Other substances, based on
bromine and phosphates help to create energy that is more efficient and environmentally friendly,
prevent the spread of forest fires and allow the safe and widespread use of a variety of products and
materials.
ICL benefits from a broad presence throughout the world and proximity to large markets, including in
emerging regions. ICL operates within a strategic framework of sustainability that includes a
commitment to the environment, support of communities in which ICL’s manufacturing operations
are located and where its employees live, and a commitment to all its employees, customers, suppliers
and other stakeholders.
ICL is a public company whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv
Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). 45% of ICL’s Shares are held by Israel Corporation Ltd,
13.9% by PotashCorp and the remainder by the public. The company employs approximately 12,000
people worldwide, and its sales in 2013 totaled US$6.3 billion. For more information, visit the
company's website at www.icl-group.com
About Agricultural Research Organization (ARO):
The Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) is part of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development. The organization is responsible for most of the agricultural research conducted in
Israel. This research aims to improve existing agricultural production systems and to introduce new
products, processes and equipment, thereby ensuring the basis of Israel’s future agriculture. The ARO
has an extensive research infrastructure that supports both basic and applied research, conducted by
more than 200 Ph.D. scientists and 300 engineers and technicians. Numerous breeds, methods and
technologies have been developed at ARO and successfully transferred to commercial markets in the
form of private and public agritech companies. For more information, please visit www.agri.gov.il.
Forward Looking Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking assessments and judgments regarding macro-economic
conditions and the Group’s markets, and there is no certainty as to whether, when and/or at what rate
these projections will materialize. Management’s projections are likely to change in light of market
fluctuations, especially in ICL’s manufacturing locations and target markets. In addition, ICL is likely
to be affected by changes in the demand and price environment for its products as well as the cost of
shipping and energy, whether caused by actions of governments, manufacturers or consumers. ICL
can also be affected by changes in the capital markets, including fluctuations in currency exchange
rates, credit availability, interest rates, etc.
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