Education and positions
1983-1986
B.Sc., in Field and Vegetable Crops, Cum Laude, at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
1986-1987
Teaching Credential: Agricultural Sciences and Biology, at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
1988-1992
Ph.D. in Plant Physiology, at the Department of Land, Air, and Water
Resources, University of California, Davis, USA.
Title of Dissertation: Distribution of growth and mineral element
deposition in developing leaves: effects of salinity and calcium.
Supervision: Prof. Andre Läuchli and Prof. Wendy K. Silk.
1992-1993
Postdoctoral position: at the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA.
Interdisciplinary plant group, with Dr. R. Sharp, for 3 months.
Research Subject: Mechanisms of root growth maintenance under
conditions of water stress: Responses to ABA manipulations.
1993 - today: Senior Research Scientist at the ARO: The Volcani Center, Institute of
Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences.
Selected Publications
Lazof, D., Bernstein, N., Läuchli, A. (1991). Growth and development of the Latuca
sativa shoot as affected by NaCl stress: Consideration of leaf Developmental
stages. Bot. Gaz. 152(1):72-76.
Bernstein, N., Läuchli, A., Silk, W.K. (1992). Spatial and Temporal Distribution of
Inorganic Solutes in Salt Affected Leaves. Curr Top Plant Biochem Physiol.
11:305-306.
Bernstein, N., Läuchli, A., Silk, W.K. (1993). Kinematics and dynamics of sorghum
(Sorghum bicolor L.) leaf development at various Na/Ca salinities. I. Elongation
growth. Plant Physiol. 103:1107-1114.
Bernstein, N., A., Silk, W.K. Läuchli. (1993). Growth and development of sorghum
leaves under conditions of NaCl stress. Spatial and temporal aspects of leaf
growth inhibition. Planta. 191:433:439
Sharp. R.E., Voetberg, G.S., Saab, I.N., Bernstein, N. (1993). Role of abscisic acid in
the regulation of cell expansion in roots at low water potentials. Curr topics
Plant Physiol. 10:57-66
Bernstein, N., Silk, W.K., Läuchli, A., (1995). Growth and development of sorghum
leaves under conditions of NaCl stress: Possible role of some mineral elements in
growth inhibition. Planta. 196:699-705.
Martinez, V., Bernstein, N., Läuchli. (1996). Salt induced inhibition of Phosphorous
transport in lettuce leaves. Physiol Plantarum 97(1):118-122.
Lazof, D., Bernstein N. (1998). The NaCl-induced inhibition of shoot growth: The
case for disturbed nutrition with special consideration of Calcium nutrition.
Adv. Bot. Res. 29:113-189.
Peters, W.P., Bernstein, N. (1998). The determination of relative elemental growth
rate profiles from segmental growth rates: a methodical evaluation. Plant
Physiol. 113:1395-1404.
Lazof, D.B., Bernstein, N. (1999). Effect of salinization on nutrient transport to
lettuce leaves: consideration of leaf developmental stage. New Phytologist,
144(1):85-94.
Meiri, A., Bernstein, N., Yanai, U., Strul, R. Zilberstaine, M. (1999). Temporal
changes in soil N of drip-irrigated avocado indicate seasonal differences in N
uptake. Rev. Chap. Hort. 5: 195-200.
Spollen, W.G., LeNoble M.E., Samuels, T.D., Bernstein, N., Sharp R.E. (2000).
ABA accumulation maintains maize primary root elongation at low water
potentials by restricting ethylene production.
Plant Physiol. 122(3):967-976.
Neves-Piestun, B.G., Bernstein, N. (2001). Salinity-induced inhibition of leaf
elongation is not mediated by changes in cell-wall acidification capacity. Plant
Physiol. 125:1419-1428.
Bernstein, N. Ioffe, M., Zilberstaine, M., (2001). Salt-stress effects on avocado
rootstock growth. I. Establishing criteria for determination of shoot growth
sensitivity to the stress. Plant and Soil. 233:1-11.
German, M.A., Dai, N., Mastevitz, T., Hanael, R., Petreikov, M., Bernstein, N.,
Ioffe, M., Shahak, Y., Schaffer, A., Granot, D. (2003). Suppression of
fructokinase encoded by LeFRK2 in tomato stem inhibits growth and causes
wilting of young leaves. Plant J. 34(6): 837-46.
Baas, R., Van Oers, S., Silber, A., Bernstein. N., Ioffe, M., Keinan, M. Bar-Tal, A.
(2003). Calcium distribution in cut roses as related to transpiration. J. Hort.
Sci. Biotech. 78: 1-9.
Bernstein, N., Meiri, A, Zilberstaine, M. (2004). Root growth of avocado [Persea
Americana Mill] is more sensitive to salinity than shoot growth. J. Amer. Soc.
Hort. Sci.. 129: 188-192.
Neves-Piestun, B.G., Bernstein, N. (2005). Salinity induced changes in the
nutritional status of expanding cells may impact leaf growth inhibition in
Maize. Functional Plant Biol. 32: 141-152.
Bernstein, N., Ioffe, Bruner, M., Nishri, Y., Luria, G., Dori, I., Matan., E,
Philosoph-Hadas, S., Umiel, N., Hagiladi, A. (2005). Effects of supplied
nitrogen form and quantity on growth and postharvest quality of Ranunculus
asiaticus flowers. HortSci. 40: 1879-1886.
Guetsky, R., Gollop, N., Bernstein, N. (2005). Genetic diversity of Frankia strains
isolated from root nodules of Casuarina in Israel. Israel J. Plant Sci. 53: 125–133.
Bernstein, N., Bar-Tal, A., Friedman, H., Snir. P., Chazan, A., Ioffe. (2006).
Application of treated wastewater for cultivation of roses (Rosa hybrida) in
soil-less culture. Scientia Hort. 108: 185-193.
Bernstein N., Sela, S., Pinto, R., Ioffe, M. (2007). Evidence for internalization of
Escherichia coli into the aerial parts of maize via the root system. J. Food
Protect. 70: 471–475.
Bernstein, N., S. Sela, Neder-Lavon, S. (2007). Effect of irrigation regimes on
persistence of Salmonella enterica serovar Newport in small experimental pots
designed for plant cultivation. Irrig. Sci. 26: 1-8.
Bernstein, N., Sela, S., Neder-Lavon, S. (2007). Assessment of contamination
potential of lettuce by Salmonella enterica serovar Newport added to the plant
growing medium. J. Food Protect. 70: 1717-1722.
Bernstein, N., Bar-Tal, A., Friedman, H., Ioffe, M. (2008). Potential Health Risks
Associated with Utilization of Reclaimed roses For irrigation in a greenhouse
production system.
Acta Hort. (ISHS) 797: 327-332.
Bernstein, N., Guetsky, R., Friedman, H., Bar-Tal, A., Rot, I. (2008).
Monitoring bacterial populations in agricultural greenhouse production
system irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. J. Hort. Sci. Biotechnol. 83:
821-827.
Bernstein, N. Luria, G., Bruner, M., Nishri, Y., Dori, I., Matan, E., Ioffe, M.
(2008). Development of “stem-topple” disorder in Ranunculus asiaticus is
related to localised disturbances in tissue calcium levels.J. Hort. Sci.
Biotechnology. 83: 525–531.
Friedman, H., Bernstein, N., Bruner, M., Rot, I., Ben-Noon, Z., Zuriel, A.,
Zuriel, R., Finkelstein, C., Umiel, N. Hagiladi, A., (2007). Application of
secondary-treated effluents for cultivation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus
L.) and celosia (Celosia argentea L.) as cut flowers. Scientia Hort. 115:
62-69.
Bernstein, N., Chaimovitsh, D., Fisher, R. Kaldes, D., Dudai, N. (2009). Effect
of irrigation with secondary treated effluents of essential oil, antioxidant
activity and phenolic compounds, in Origanum vulgare and Rosmarinus
officinalis. Agronomy J. 101: 1-10.
Bernstein, N. Kravchik, M. and Dudai, N. (2009). Salinity-induced changes in
essential oil, pigments and salts accumulation in sweet basil (Ocimum
basilicum), in relation to alterations of morphological development. Ann.
Appl. Biol. 156: 167-177
Bernstein, N., Ioffe, M., Luria, G., Bruner, M., Nishri, Y., Philosoph-Hadas, S.,
Salim , S., Dori, I., Matan, E. (2010). Evaluation of a newly developed
potassium and nitrogen fertilization regime for soil cultivation of
Ranunculus asiaticus. Israel J. Plant Sci. 18: 33-41
Bernstein, N., Shoresh, M., Xu, Y., Huang, B. (2010). Involvement of the plant
antioxidative response in the differential growth sensitivity to salinity of
leaves vs. roots during cell development. Free Radicals Biology and
Medicine. 94: 1161-1171.
Bernstein, N., (2011). Potential for contamination of crops by microbial human
pathogens introduced to the soil by irrigation with treated-effluent. Israel J.
Plant Sci. In Press.
Sacks, M., Bernstein, N. (2011). Utilization of reclaimed wastewater for
irrigation of field grown melons by surface and subsurface drip irrigation.
Israel J. Plant Sci. In Press.
Bernstein, N., Ioffe, M., Luria, G., Bruner, M., Nishri, Y., Philosoph-Hadas, S.,
Salim, S., Dori, I., Matan, E. ( 2011). Effects of K and N nutrition on
function and production in Ranunculus asiaticus. Pedosphere. 21: 288 - 301.
Steinitz, B., Barr, N., Tabib, Y., Vaknin, Y., Bernstein, N. (2010). Control of in
vitro rooting and plant development in Corymbia maculata by silver nitrate,
silver thiosulfate and thiosulfate ion. Plant Cell Rep. 29:1315–1323.
Gollop, N., Shoresh, M., Guetsky, R., Rindner, M., Zakin, V., Bernstein, N.
(2011). Differential response of Frankia strains to heavy metals. Israel J.
Plant Sci. In Press.
Shoresh, M., Spivak, M., Bernstein, N. (2011). Involvement of calciummediated effects on ROS metabolism in regulation of growth improvement
under salinity. Free Radicals Biology and Medicine. In press.
Book Chapters and invited reviews
Kafkafi, U., Bernstein, N. (1995). Root growth under ionic composition and salinity
stress. In: (Y. Waisel, A. Eshel, U. Kafkafi, eds.) Plant roots: the hidden half, 2nd
edition. pp. 435-452.
Bernstein, N., Kafkafi, U. (2000). Root growth under salinity stress. In: Plant roots:
the hidden half, (Y. Waisel, A. Eshel, U. Kafkafi, eds.), 3rd edition. pp. 787-805.
Bernstein, N., Sela, S. (2008). Potential microbial hazards associated with the
utilization of recycled effluents for irrigation. In: Agriculture in arid and semiarid
zones: Soil, water, and environment aspects, (M. Ben-Hur, ed.), In Press.
Dudai, N., Chaimovitch, D., Bernstein, N., (2008). Utilization of secondary-treated
effluents for irrigation of aromatic plants. In: Advances in Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants )D. Thangadurai, ed.). Regency Publications, New Delhi; Bioscience
Publications, India; and ABD Publishers, Jaipur. In Press.
Bernstein, N. (2009). Contamination of soils with microbial pathogens originating
from effluent water used for irrigation. In: Contaminated Soils: Environmental
Impact, Disposal and Treatment. Nova Science Publishers, NY, USA.