Peter M. Neumann, Professor
B.Sc. 1966; M.Sc. 1967; both at the University of Manchester, UK. Ph.D. 1970, King College, Univ. of London, U.K,

FMW chair in agricultural engineering, 2001.

Came to Israel and joined the Faculty of Agricultural engineering at the Technion in 1971. Works on the regulation of growth in agricultural plants. Developed a patent for a stabilized aqueous foam with several potential applications. Pioneered the use of silicon based surfactants for increasing the ability of spray solutions of agricultural chemicals to wet and penetrate plant surfaces; these are now widely used in agricultural practice. Other more basic research has focused on mechanisms underlying the inhibition of plant growth by environmental stresses (in particular, salinity, drought and nutrient deficiencies). Showed that rapid adjustments (within minutes) in the mechanical properties of cell walls are a primary growth regulatory response to salinity, water and nutrient stress in some but not all cereal species. Since the merger of agricultural and environmental engineering also works on related topics in phytoremediation.

Selected publications

·         Neumann, P.M. and Research & Development Foundation, Technion 1978 Gelatin-based compositions and a method for the generation of stabilized foams therefrom. US patent 4,086,331.

·         Neumann, P.M. Editor. Plant Growth and Leaf Applied Chemicals. 178 ps. Published by CRC Press, USA 1988.

·         Zidan I, B Jacoby,I Ravina, PM Neumann 1991 Sodium does not compete with calcium in saturating plasma membrane sites regulating 22Na influx in salinized maize roots. Plant Physiology 96: 331-334

·         Chazen O. and P.M. Neumann 1994. Hydraulic signals from the roots and rapid cell wall hardening in growing maize leaves, are primary responses to PEG induced water deficits. Plant Physiology 104:1385-1392.

·        Neumann, P.M. 1995. The role of cell wall adjustment in plant resistance to water deficits (Review and Interpretation). Crop Science 35:1258-1266.

·         Snir, N. and Neumann, P.M. 1997. Mineral nutrient supply, cell wall adjustment and the control of leaf growth. Plant Cell and Environment 20:239-246.

·        Neumann, P.M. 1997. Salinity resistance and plant growth revisited. Plant Cell and Environment 20:1193-1198.

·         Bogoslavsky L. and P.M. Neumann 1998 Rapid regulation by acid-pH of cell-wall adjustment and leaf growth, in intact maize plants responding to reversal of water stress. Plant Physiology. 118: 701-709

·         Lu Z. and P.M. Neumann 1998 Water stressed maize, barley and rice seedlings show species specific diversity in mechanisms of leaf growth inhibition. J Experimental Botany 49 (329): 1945-1952

·         Lu Z. and P.M. Neumann 1999 Water stress inhibits hydraulic conductance and leaf growth in rice seedlings but not transport of water via mercury sensitive water channels in the root. Plant Physiology, 120:143-152

·         Shalata A, Neumann PM.2001 Exogenous ascorbic acid (vitamin C) increases resistance to salt stress and reduces lipid peroxidation. J Experimental Botany 52: 2207-2211

·         Whiting SN, Neumann PM and. Baker AJM (2003) Nickel and zinc hyperaccumulation by Alyssum murale and Thlaspi caerulescens (Brassicaceae) do not enhance survival and whole-plant growth under drought stress. Plant Cell and Environment . 26:351-360

·         Neumann P M., de Souza M P, Pickering IJ, Terry N (2003) Rapid microalgal metabolism of selenate to volatile dimethylselenide. Plant Cell & Environment  26:897-905

·         Nerd A., Neumann PM. 2004 Phloem water transport maintains stem growth in a drought stressed crop cactus (Hylocerus undatus). J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Science 129: 486-490

·        Fan L, Neumann PM 2004 The spatially variable inhibition by water deficit of
maize root growth correlates with altered profiles of proton flux and cell wall pH. Plant Physiology 135:2291-2300

E-mail:         agpetern@tx.technion.ac.il
Tel:         972-(0)4-8293627 (office); 972-(0)4-9835465 (home)