Biography
Prof. Raanan Katzir
Prof. Raanan Katzir
SACOG, Sustainable Agriculture Consulting Group, Israel
Title: The Use of Saline Water for Irrigation under Arid Agricultural Conditions
Abstract: 
Under given soil and drainage conditions, saline water with an appropriate salinity between 800 to 2500 mg/Cl/li, could be used for irrigation. The most appropriate irrigation method for the use of saline water is the drip irrigation. The characteristics of this performance is strictly adequate to saline water irrigation under desert condition, where water saving must be achieved. The frequency and capacity of water applied by irrigation must be adapted to soil; crop features demands and climate conditions. A great range of crops, are characterized as tolerant and suitable to be irrigated by salty water and being able to achieve under salinity condition, commercial and profitable yield. Agricultural practices were developed in order to confront difficulties by using saline water. Theses practices are related to soil, plant, water and climate factors and the interdependence between them. These methods allow to overcome agro cultural constrains, to achieve sophisticated and advance farming in arid and semi arid regions.

Keywords: saline water, soil salinity, crop salt tolerance, drip irrigation, irrigation management
Biography: 
Agronomist, M. Sc. Agr., graduate from The   Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University Jerusalem. Honorary Professor of Fujian Vocational College of Agriculture.
 Forty years of working experience with the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture in the fields of agricultural extension, plant protection, national coordinator of agricultural research and extension, head of national plant quarantine office and director of international projects in developing countries within the framework of the Israeli Agency for International Cooperation (CINADCO, MASHAV).
Conducting post studies in France, South Africa and the US. Pparticipated on tenths of international conferences. Published tenths of articles concerning my professional work.
I have fully workable management of English, Spanish, French and Hebrew as mother language.   My Professional activities cover the following:
Agro Ecology/ Sustainable Agriculture/ Organic Agriculture.
Ecological Impact assessment.
Regional water resources and irrigation methods.
Advance modernize agriculture in arid zones
Restoration and conservation of dry land.
Regional Agriculture Research and Development, R&D Projects.
Programing regional agriculture extension activities.
Agro and Eco Tourism
Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture  
I am often participate on international conferences and conducted tenths of lecturing
and consulting missions in the developing countries as South America, Africa, Central Europe, China, India and Oceania.
In the last thirty years specialized on Sustainable Agriculture, focusing on sustainable management of natural resources as soil, water, crops, animal husbandry, climate and human resource for the aim of agricultural production and food security. The basic approach is a holistic integrated management to conserve the natural resources for their future ability to generate food and avoid agro ecological disturbances.
My activity covers open field and protected agriculture (greenhouses), urban and peri urban agriculture, agriculture extension, Agriculture Research and Development (R&D), agro environment issues, Rural Tourism. 
I am a member of the Israeli Association of Engineers, the Israeli Societies of Entomology and Phytopathology and International Society of Development (SID).
General Secretary of a NGO called OISCA-Israel connected to a mother NGO in Japan, dealing with environmental education, reforestation and international developing activities.
Since retirement, 2001, director of Sustainable Agriculture Consulting Group (SACOG), engaged in lecturing, consulting and participation on conferences in Israel and other industrial and developing countries. SACOG is entitled by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the P.R. of China (SAFEA), to recruit volunteer experts, mostly in the field of Agriculture. In the year 2012-2016, about 121 Israeli experts in behalf of SACOG conducted short professional missions in China.