Kibbutz Holit, Ravaged on Oct. 7, Becomes Hub for Agricultural Innovation

At Holit, scientists are testing gene-edited seeds to create a new variety of potato and tomato plants.

By Shula Rosen, United with Israel

Kibbutz Holit, which was ravaged by Hamas’s massacre on October 7th, is experiencing a rebirth as it becomes a center for agricultural innovation.

At Holit, scientists are testing gene-edited seeds to create a new variety of potato and tomato plants.

Southern Israel, hit hard because of the war, produces 60% of the country’s potato crops and 50% of the tomatoes.

The potato plant tested in Holit will have toxins gene-edited out, and the tomato is designed to survive drought conditions and grows semi-dried on the bush.

Emeritus Professor Haim Rabinowitch, founder and CTO of Rumafeed, explains that the potatoes have been gene-edited to eliminate toxicity in the stems and leaves so they can be used as livestock feed rather than thrown away.

Intel Ignite Tel Aviv has chosen Rumafeed as one of the companies it will partner with and has given the green light for potato trials to take place at Holit.

Rabinowitz, formerly a Hebrew University rector and dean of its Agriculture Faculty, was part of an Israeli team that developed the first commercial cherry tomatoes in the 1980s.

He is concerned with the amount of waste produced by the agriculture industry and the needless disposal of potato leaves and stems that can be used to feed livestock.

“Before harvesting, herbicides are used to destroy the leaves,” he told Times of Israel. “Think of the harm to the environment. Some 400 million tons of potatoes are grown worldwide every year. Around 170 tons of the crop is thrown away, along with the inputs such as water and labor.”

Another agricultural product that will be developed and tested in Holit is a tomato that is intended to be harvested semi-dry on the vine while preserving vitamins and flavor.

A third project captures the capability of “good” bacteria to help them fight spoilage and allow fruits and vegetables to last longer.