The Agriculture Ministry’s research and development arm, the Volcani Institute, has developed a new variety of drought-resistant wheat and named it after field-crop expert Yakov (Ya’akobi) Inon, who was murdered during the October 7, 2023, attack.

Hamas terrorists killed Inon, 78, and his wife Bilha, 75, in their home on Moshav Netiv Ha’asara near the Gaza border.

The institute’s Roi Ben-David and his research team developed the early-maturing, high-yielding “Ya’akobi” strain to cope with climate change. It is resistant to drought and heatwaves and can thrive even in the harsh growing conditions of the Negev in southern Israel, either with or without irrigation. It is designed to avoid the unstable weather around Passover, ripening some three weeks before other similar varieties.

Rich in gluten and high-quality baking protein, it is suitable for both amateur and professional bakers.

Ben-David, who heads the institute’s winter cereal-breeding program (where plants are crossed........

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