Prof. Dan (Dini) Eisikowitch

Prof. Dan (Dini) Eisikowitch (1939–2023)

Prof. Dan (Dini) Eisikowitch, a world-renowned expert in pollination ecology, served as the Director of the Botanic Garden in 1980.

Dini was raised in Ramatayim (now part of Hod HaSharon) and attended high school in Herzliya. Alongside his studies, he was an active member of the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. Upon enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), he joined a Nahal nucleus (Garin) that went on to reinforce Kibbutz Dan. During his mandatory service, he served as a paratrooper and a medic. He also underwent training in the Navy and the Armored Corps, later serving in a reconnaissance unit (Sayeret) during his reserve duty.

Dini was a veteran of several of Israel’s conflicts: he served as a paratrooper in the Sinai War (1956) while in regular service, and as a reservist in the Six-Day War (1967), the War of Attrition (early 1970s), and the latter stages of the Yom Kippur War (1973). During the First Lebanon War (1982), he served in the EITAN unit (Unit for Locating Missing Soldiers).

Academic Career and Research

He completed his academic education at Tel Aviv University’s Department of Botany. His Master’s thesis (1965) focused on the "Pollination Ecology of the Sycamore Fig (Ficus sycomorus L.)", and his doctoral dissertation (1970) explored the "Pollination Ecology of Coastal Vegetation in Israel." Both works were supervised by Professor Jacob Galil.

Dini's scientific legacy includes approximately 100 publications spanning over half a century. His early work included a series of papers on the pollination of figs (Ficus) alongside his mentor, Prof. Jacob Galil. These studies remain groundbreaking to this day. In 2016, the 9th International Fig Symposium in Montpellier, France, was dedicated to the "50th Anniversary of the First Publication by Jacob Galil and Dan Eisikowitch on Fig Biology," with Dini as the guest of honor. Even as he branched into other fields, he never lost his passion for figs; one of his final papers – published 54 years after his first – investigated the mutualism between figs and wasps, with a focus on the common fig (Ficus carica).

Innovations in Electrostatics and Agriculture

In the early 1980s, Dini began developing innovative ideas regarding the importance of electrostatic charges on pollen grains. A pioneering study he co-authored in 1982 with colleagues from Cambridge was initially met with skepticism, but is today considered a foundational work. Following this research, Dini and his students developed a pollination machine for dates and almonds based on the electrostatic charge of pollen. This body of work perfectly illustrates Dini’s trajectory: from a theoretical concept to laboratory experiments, field trials, and finally, practical applications for the benefit of agriculture.

Dini was particularly attentive to the challenges of honeybee pollination. A significant portion of his work addressed both the practical aspects of using bees as pollinators and the biological mechanisms of pollination in Rosaceae (apples and cherries), Cucurbitaceae (melons), and industrial crops like cotton. His practical research contributed so much to the industry that he was affectionately known as the "Honeybee Laureate" and the "Father of Pollination in Israel." He also made unique contributions to the identification and cultivation of nectariferous (honey-producing) plants, both wild and cultivated, such as Eucalyptus. Many "honey plant" plots scattered across Israel are a direct result of his research and personal guidance to beekeepers.

Wild Plants and Animal Behavior

Dini maintained a deep interest in unique pollination mechanisms in the wild, particularly in extreme habitats. He and his students conducted extensive research on species such as the Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Field Fennel Flower (Nigella arvensis), Silene, Sodom Apple (Calotropis procera), Great Mistletoe (Plicosepalus acaciae), Beach Evening Primrose (Oenothera drummondii), Rangoon Creeper (Combretum indicum), Za'atar (Origanum syriacum), Moringa peregrina, and various Capparis (Caper) species.

Dini was fascinated by the behavior of bees and birds (particularly the Palestine Sunbird). He refined his expertise in ethology under the guidance of Nobel Laureate Nikolaas Tinbergen at Oxford University. This deep understanding of animal behavior remained a hallmark of his work, as he explored the mutual relationships between pollinators and flowers in both agricultural and natural settings.

A Lasting Legacy

Dini was a man of great warmth who touched the lives of everyone around him. He was known for his kindness, generosity, and a complete lack of pretense or professional jealousy. A teacher and colleague with broad horizons – extending far beyond science – he was a true gift to those who had the privilege of working with him as students or researchers.

He is survived by his wife, Ruti, his children, Shaul and Irit, and five grandchildren.

Written by: Professor Amots Dafni, University of Haifa

Professor Dini Eisikowitch’s Researcher Page