Prof. Rafael Stern is a senior researcher specializing in fruit tree physiology, with a focus on improving productivity, fruit quality, and economic viability of orchard systems.
His research centers on both deciduous fruit trees- including pear, apple, plum, and apricot- and subtropical crops such as avocado and lychee.
Dr. Stern studies the biological processes of pollination and fertilization, alongside the delicate balance between vegetative growth and fruiting. His work aims to translate fundamental physiological insights into practical, field-based solutions for growers.
A significant part of his research is dedicated to the development of innovative techniques for chemical thinning in deciduous fruit trees, reducing reliance on labor-intensive hand thinning. He also develops methods to increase fruit size and improve yield quality, directly enhancing orchard profitability.
In addition, Dr. Stern investigates fruit-cracking disorders in ‘Pink Lady’ apples and leads the development of new strategies to mitigate this challenge. His research includes identifying optimal rootstocks for apple and pear cultivation under Israel’s warm climate conditions, supporting sustainable and resilient orchard management.
Education
- 1975-1977 B.Sc. in Agriculture, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- 1978-1979 M.Sc. in Horticulture, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Title of thesis: “Improving rooting and viability of rooted peach cuttings under mist.” Supervisors: Profs. A. Gur & A. Altman, Dept. Horticulture.
- 1988-1992 Ph.D. in Horticulture, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Title of thesis: “Factors affecting litchi productivity in Israel and development of methods to improve its yields.” Supervisors: Profs. S. Gazit, J. Kigel & Dr. I. Adato, Dept. Horticulture.
- 1993 Post-Doctoral training scholarship in USA, Puerto Rico & Ecuador. (Baron de Hirsch Fund).
- 1995-1996 Post- Doctoral Research Associate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with Prof. O. Shuseiov. Research subject: “Isolation and identification of RNase gene from Starking apple.”
Work Experience
- 2016 to date -Member of Scientific Committee in the Bureau of chief scientist in the Ministry of Agriculture for "Citrus – Fruit Trees".
- 2017 to date- Full Prof. of Plant Science (Horticulture), and lecturer at Tel-Hai College
Current Projects
- Studying the pollination and fertilization processes in deciduous (pear, apple, plum, apricot) and subtropical (avocado, lychee) fruit trees.
- Development of techniques for chemical thinning of deciduous trees to reduce hand-thinning costs.
- Development of innovative techniques to increase fruit size of deciduous trees in order to improve profitability
- Studying the fruit-cracking disorder in 'Pink Lady' apples and development of new techniques for reducing cracking.
- Studying the relationship between vegetative: fruiting balance • Identification of the best rootstocks for growing apples and pears in the warm climate of Israel.