Yotvata Fields

Route description:

An easy ride north along the old Arava road to the exit of Nahal Shacharut. Turn east on an agricultural road in the fields of Kibbutz Grofit until the first turn south. Riding along the date packing house until Ye'elim parking lot. Turn east through the fields of Yotvata, (it is recommended to visit the R&D farm) to the border fence with the Kingdom of Jordan and back to the Yotvata Inn.

The route passes through the sites:

Dates in the Arava - date groves are the main agricultural crop in the southern Arava communities. Date growing is particularly suitable for the arid climate of the region and grows successfully with the salinity of the groundwater.
Among the palm trees, there is a division between males that give pollen blossoms and female trees that give fruit. The dates season ranges from mid-August to mid-October.
The work in date plantations continues throughout the year. After the harvest, pruning tree branches begin. With the flowering, blossoms are collected from the male trees, from which pollen is produced in which the female blossoms thrive to produce dates. When the fruit begins to show the branches are either thinned or placed in bags.
The main species that grows in the Arava is a large Majhul with juicy flesh. The second variety is the "Nur," which is characterized by a small, light-colored fruit. Most of the fruit is exported mainly to Europe.

The R&D Farm - At the experimental station of the Arava Agricultural Research Center in the South, experiments are being conducted to improve agricultural cultivation methods, develop and assimilate new crops, and, to cope with the unique climatic and water conditions of this area. The results of the studies are being implemented in the Arava and similar regions of the world.