Department of Vegetable Crops, ARO,
The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel

Tel: 972-3-9683470
Fax. 972-3-9669642
E-mail: pressman@agri.gov.il

Positions held and academic status

1970 to date: Research Scientist at ARO, Dept. of Vegetable Crops.

1974-1990: Appointed research leader of leaf crops.

1984-1989: Appointed research leader of asparagus.

1990- to date: Appointed research leader of greenhouse tomatoes.

1994- to date: Research leader of pollination and fruit set in pepper.

1998- to date: Scientific manager of R&D in the Ramat-Negev region.

Activities concerning vegetable production in greenhouses:

Current research activities, financed by Chief Scientist of Ministry of Agriculture:

Tomatoes - The effect of heat stress on pollen characteristics in tomatoes. Studies on the effect of high temperatures on fruit set (pollination) and fruit quality and use of hormones.

Pepper - Treatments to minimize the waves in pepper production in order to achieve continuous harvest. Studies on the effect of low temperatures on fruit set and quality.

Melons - The effect of winter-low temperatures on the reproduction of new and old melon cultivars.

Recent Publications

Pressman E., R. Shaked, K. Rosenfeld and A. Hefetz 1999. A comparative study of the efficiency of bumble bees and an electrical bee in pollinating unheated greenhouse tomatoes. J. Hort. Sci. & Biotech. 74: 101-104

Aloni B, E. Pressman and L.Karni, 1999. The effect of fruit load, defoliation and high temperature on the morphology of pepper flowers and on fruit shape. Ann. Bot. 83: 529-534

Pressman E., M. M. Peet and D. M. Pharr 2002. The Effect of heat-stress on tomato pollen characteristics is associated with changes in carbohydrate concentration in the developing anthers. Ann. Bot. 90: 631-636.

Pressman E., Peet M.M. and Pharr, D.M. (2002).The Effect of heat-stress on tomato pollen characteristics is associated with changes in carbohydrate concentration in the developing anthers. Ann. Bot. 90: 631-636.

Peet, M., Sato, S., Clement, C. and Pressman, E. (2003). Heat stress increase sensitivity of pollen, fruit and seed production in tomatoes(Lcopersicon esculentum Mill.) to non-optimal vapor pressure deficits. Acta Hort. 618: 209-215

Shaked, R., Rosenfeld, K. and Pressman, E. (2004).The effect of low night temperatures on carbohydrates metabolism in developing pollen grains of pepper in relation to their number and functioning. Scient. Hortic. 102: 29-36

Pressman, E., Shaked, R. and Firon, N. (2006). Exposing pepper plants to high day temperatures prevents the adverse low night temperature symptoms. Physiol. Plant. 126:618-626

Lichter, A., Guzev, L., Dvir, O., Danshin, A., Pressman, E., Ganz, S. and Beno-Moualem, D. (2006). Seasonal changes in the abscission of bunch tomatoes and differential response to 1- Methylcyclopropane. Postharvest Biol. and Technol. 40: 48-55.

Pressman, E., Harel, D., Zamski, E., Shaked, R., Altahan, L., Rosenfeld, K. and Firon, N. (2006). The effect of high temperatures on the expression of sucrose cleaving enzymes during tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) anther development. J. Hort. Sci. & Biotech 81: 341-348.

Firon, N., Shaked, R., Peet, M.M., Pharr, D.M, Zamski, E., Rosenfeld, K.,Althan, L.and Pressman, E. (2006). Pollen grains of heat tolerant tomato cultivars retain higher carbohydrate concentration under heat stress conditions. Scient. Hortic. 109: 212-217.

Pressman, E, R Shaked, Firon N (2007). Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) response to heat stress: focus on pollen grains. Plant Stress 1:216-227. Invited Review.