Dr. Roni Gefen’s research focuses on biotic factors in field crop systems, with an emphasis on weed and pest dynamics and their response to agricultural management. Her work examines how management practices, climate, and spatial factors interact to shape the spatial and temporal distribution of biotic stresses, from within-field patterns to regional scales.
Her research is highly data-driven, integrating field experiments, GIS data, and statistical and mechanistic models. In recent years, she expanded into precision and smart agriculture, including the development of intelligent sampling strategies and non-chemical approaches to sustainable pest and weed management.
University Education and Additional Training
2009 – 2012: B.Sc. in Nature Conservation and Open Spaces combined with Plant Sciences in Agriculture at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot (summa cum laude)
2013 – 2015: M.Sc. in Agroecology and Plant Health at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot (magna cum laude). Title of thesis: Modeling the development of Bemisia tabaci species under field conditions. Supervision by: Prof. Shai Morin and Dr. Einat Zchori-Fein
2017 – 2024: Ph.D. in Weed Science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot.
Title of thesis: The effect of geographic and climatic variables on the spatial distribution and control of Amaranthus albus. Supervision by: Prof. Hanan Eizenberg and Dr. Lior Blank
2024 – to date: Postdoctoral position at Tel Hai Academic College and at the Northern Agriculture R&D, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona, Israel, in collaboration with Prof. Yael Edan, the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel, and Dr. Yafit Cohen, the Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel . Research subject: Robotic monitoring of biotic stresses with intelligent sampling using AI algorithms.
Activity in Scientific and Agricultural Committees
2020 – 2023: Secretary of the Weed Science Society of Israel.
2024 - present: Treasurer of the Weed Science Society of Israel
Contribution to the Scientific Community
A. International:
2020-present Member of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA)
2022-present Member of the European Weed Research Society (EWRS)
2022-present Member of the International Weed Science Society (IWSS)
B. National:
2018-present: Member of the Weed Science Society of Israel (WSSI)
2021: Organizer of the 26th National Conference of The Weed Science Society of Israel; Virtual conference.
2023: Organizer of the 27th National Conference of The Weed Science Society of Israel; Rehovot.
C. Institutional:
2022-2024: Co-founder and teacher in an institutional support forum on R and statistics, the Agricultural Research Organisation, Newe Ya'ar Research Center.
Current Projects
Dr. Gafni's research focuses on understanding and managing biotic factors in field crop systems, with a particular emphasis on weeds and pest dynamics and their response to agricultural management practices. She investigate how management, climatic, and geographic drivers interact to shape intra- and inter-field variability in the spatial and temporal distribution of biotic stresses, from within-field patterns to regional scales.
Her work is strongly data-driven, integrating field observations, experiments, GIS layers, and statistical and mechanistic models. Recently, her research has expanded toward precision and smart agriculture, including the development of intelligent sampling strategies.
In parallel, she investigate the integration of non-chemical approaches for managing biotic stresses in commercial field crop systems. Across these domains, she aim to link fundamental ecological insights with applied research, contributing to decision-support tools and sustainable management strategies for farmers and extension services.