Our Staff → Shlomo Navarro Ph.D.
Shlomo Navarro Ph. D.
Chief Science Advisor in Conservation of postharvest food and storage systems
Professor Navarro is a worldwide expert in the post harvest protection of durable commodities with specific emphasis on insect control and storage engineering technology. Professor Shlomo Navarro is the principal inventor of the current technologies being promoted by FTIC. Until his recent retirement he was a Principal Scientist in the Department of Food Science, Israel Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Bet Dagan.
He headed the Department of Stored Products at the ARO. He has chaired numerous professional and scientific committees at the ARO including the Research Projects Evaluation Committee on Food Technology, the Stored Products Advisory Board of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Committee for Promoting Commercialization of R & D Applications and the Division of International Relations.
His Handbook of Aeration in subtropical Climates for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations is the leading authority for aeration in tropical and sub-tropical grain stores and was the forerunner of the book The Mechanics and Physics of Modern Grain Aeration Management published by CRC Press in 2002.
His chapter "Innovative environentally friendly technologies to maintain quality of durable agricultural produce" in the recently published book by CRC Press entitled "Innovative environentally friendly technologies for agricultural produce quality" provides an across-the-board summary of the latest know-how in the diverse aspects of this field.
He has authored or co-authored 302 technical articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings, and books. He holds 6 Patents on developing storage structures and technologies.
Professor Navarro is the leading authority on hermetic storage in semi-permanent plastic storage structures for use with grains, seeds, dried fruits and other stable bulk products.
The following are specific areas of scientific interest in which Professor Navarro has been active during his professional career:
- Forced aeration and refrigerated aeration technology for the preservation of bulk stored grain.
- Modified atmospheres storage methods for grain preservation.
- Drying seeds using controlled humidity aeration.
- Prevention of heating of soybeans and cotton seeds using aeration and refrigerated air.
- Population dynamics of stored grain pests.
- Computerized data system and modeling stored grain conditions.
- Storage of dried fruits including: dates, pecans, peanuts and dehydrated vegetables.
- Hermetic storage methods using plastic liners.
- Disinfestation of dried fruits using modified atmospheres.
- Development of safe fumigation techniques by reducing methyl bromide emissions to the atmosphere.
