Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran

Seedlings are the most important inputs in horticulture, and the health of seedlings is one of the most important factors in the development and management of modern orchards. The lack of healthy primary stocks, the lack of production of standard seedlings, the lack of standard production gardens, and finally the lack of supply of healthy garden products causes a decrease in the productivity of orchards in the country. The Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute (ABRII) at the forefront of this critical endeavor, collaborates with research institutes in plant protection, horticulture, seed and seedling certification, and other organizations and private sectors to supply healthy and authentic primary stocks of priority horticultural plants such as fig, grape, pomegranate, saffron, citrus, and native varieties. The institute plays a significant role in the mass propagation of plant materials, the establishment and management of standard mother orchards, the production of certified standard seedlings, and the creation of standard production orchards to supply healthy seedlings to gardeners and producers. The primary objectives of this mega project include the renovation and improvement of 30% of the country’s orchards, which is projected to result in an annual impact of $31 billion through increased efficiency and production.

Annually, over 120 million dollars of vegetable seeds are officially imported into the country, and 98% of the consumed vegetable seeds are imported. On the other hand, the annual production of 3.5 million tons of vegetable crops in more than 18 thousand hectares of greenhouses with a foreign exchange value of 255 million dollars depends on the provision of this seed input. For hybrid seed production, the most critical issue is having the technology to produce inbred lines. By using the haploid system and reverse breeding, it is possible to access the parental inbred lines. In peppers, the microspore culture method (androgenesis) is the most effective method for creating haploid plants. In this way, the microspores in an in vitro medium are changed towards embryogenesis and the formation of haploid and then double haploid plantlets through induced stress. But In cucumbers, the pollen grains are sterilized by exposure to gamma rays and then used to pollinate target plants, the result of this process is a haploid embryo. So far, two new F1 hybrid varieties of colored peppers, "Jovin 1" and "Jovin 2," have been registered and commercialized for the first time in the country in collaboration with the Jovin Cultivation and Industrial Company, and new hybrids of other products to be introduced next year.

Enhancing food security through the “Technology-based Production of Food Supplements and Nutritional Additives”, which are mostly imported high-value products, is among the important research priorities of the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran. Food security is achieved when all individuals in society have access to sufficient and nutritious food that not only provides the necessary energy but also supplies components required for proper body function and health. The rapid population growth and industrialization show the necessity for the development of the food industry and the creation of novel and diverse food products. However, developing and producing food products with low nutritional quality or containing chemical additives that may endanger human health is a major concern in various countries. The addition of nutritional compounds to human food as well as animal, poultry, and aquatic feeds aims to preserve and enhance the nutritional value or add specific nutritional characteristics to foodstuffs. Therefore, the formulation and production of healthy and health-promoting products are rapidly evolving worldwide. This mega project aims to produce food, supplements, and natural nutritional additives through biotechnological methods, primarily by harnessing the genetic capabilities of indigenous microorganisms and new sources (microalgae), while bearing in mind the effect of advert climate changes and optimized use of unconventional water resources.

The program of “Technology-based production bio/organic fertilizers and biopesticides” consists of two sub-megaprojects entitled: “Technology-based production biofertilizer and biopesticide” and “Transformation of agricultural waste and by-products into enriched organic fertilizers (focusing on compost and humic acid)" which was conducted by Dr. Maryam Mousivand and Dr. Hossein Ghanavati respectively". The main challenges included climate change, abiotic and biotic stresses, requiring import inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, increasing agricultural wastes and by-products, slow knowledge, and technology penetration in the agricultural section were the basis for mega project step compiling. The most important goals of the first mega project are the design and production of new biofertilizers and biopesticide formulations to reduce the biotic and abiotic stresses and agrochemical use in the main export products of the country. Gaining the targeted foreign markets' trust along with the production of healthy products for domestic consumers are other important achievements of this megaproject. Using agricultural waste and by-products as useful and cheap resources in the agricultural industry and large scaled based technology development for exploitation at the national level can be considered as the main goal of the second megaproject. Focusing on the enriched organic fertilizers production, including biocompost and humic acid, are the major parts of this megaproject. Acquiring technical knowledge along with practical and cheap technologies for organic/biological fertilizers pesticide production and agricultural waste transformation are the final outputs of the program, which will bring significant social and economic benefits.