Iranian Researchers Find Solution to Problem of Low Greenness in Grapevines Caused by Iron Deficiency
“Low greenness caused by iron deficiency is a widespread nutritional abnormality in woody plants, specially grapes, which limits plantation and production. In the meantime, the deficiency will lead to reduced photosynthetic efficiency and electron transfer and reduced carbon fixation through photosynthesis,” said Fatemeh Shahsavandi, the main researcher of the project.
“Studies have shown that iron deficiency is one of the most important nutritional abnormalities of fruit trees, and farmers inevitably use chelates in the form of foliar spraying or adding to the soil to compensate for this deficiency since using the mineral forms of iron causes their rapid hydrolysis and precipitation,” she noted.
“Of course, the use of chelates has its own problems due to the high price and soil pollution, and therefore, the only solution is using resistant plants as an economical and efficient method to prevent low greenness,” Shahsavandi added.
“In order to settle the problem from an economic and environmental point of view, it is better to use resistant and efficient plants in addition to reducing the use of iron chelates, and in this study, grape grafting method was used to solve the problem of iron chlorosis,” she recommended.
In a relevant development in June, a group of researchers at an Iranian knowledge-based companies had also achieved the know-how of making a homogenizing ultrasonic machine to produce medicinal plant extracts.
Vahid Fartashvand, the managing director of the Iranian knowledge-based company and a professor of Tehran-based Al-Zahra University presented the homogenizing device as one of achievements of his company at the AbadIran exhibition, the first edition of which was inaugurated on June 13, 2023 at Tehran's Grand Mosalla. The event brought together over 300 knowledge-based companies with the best ideas to eradicate deprivation from the country via technology.
“The machine is designed using a new technology that is used to extract components from plants,” he said in an interview with Iranian media on the sidelines of the exhibition.
“Using this method, we can extract from plants such as saffron and other medicinal plants, while maintaining the quality of the plant's natural components.Instead of heating the plants, we can industrially extract effective components and present them in the form of extracts,” the researcher also said.
According to him, heating the plants for extraction will reduce the quality of the products.
4155/v
