The Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research is an agricultural research center in Beit Dagan, Israel.

The Volcani Institute is named for its founder and director for 30 years, Yitzhak Elazari Volcani. It was the first agricultural research institution in Palestine. It began as an agricultural experimental station in Ben Shemen. In a proposal to Chaim Weizmann, then President of the Zionist Organization, and Arthur Ruppin, then head of the Settlement Department, the Zionist Executive called for the establishment of an institution to foster the development of agriculture in the Jewish state.^[1]

In 1932, the Agricultural Research Station of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, as it was called, moved to Rehovot, where it remained for nearly 20 years. It engaged in research, agricultural counseling. In 1951, after the establishment of the State of Israel, jurisdiction was transferred to the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture. The institute has developed a broad spectrum of applied research activities in addition to basic research projects.^[2]

Under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture, the institute moved to its present premises at Beit Dagan. In addition, it operates regional stations and experimental plots all over the country. The areas of research include field and garden crops, fruit trees, farm animals, soil and water, plant protection, food technology, and agricultural machinery.^[3]