Analysis of Hydrophobization potential of olive oil production wastes for soil and exploration of optimized waste use in the light of current olive oil production structure in Israel and Palestine
The Middle East and the Mediterranean basin, namely Palestinian Authority, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and others, contain 95% of the olive trees cultivated world-wide (1). 45% of the cultivated land in the Palestinian territories is covered by olive groves that produce 19% of the agricultural output and influence the lives of 100,000 families (2) in these territories. As olive oil mill waste water contains valuable organic matter and nutrients (3), its use in agriculture could help improving intensely cultivated soils (4). However, the waste water of olive oil mills is known to be environmentally risky (3,4), and there is a significant lack of knowledge on (i) specific mechanisms leading to unwanted changes in the soil-water-plant environment affected by olive oil mills waste water and (ii) new perspectives for olive oil waste water treatment minimizing the unwanted effects.
The objectives of this project are
Dr. Arnon Dag (ARO, Gilat research Station, Israel)