Iranian Researchers Produce, Register 67 Cultivars of Hybrid Seeds of Summer Crops

“The field of technological activity of our company is production of greenhouse hybrid seeds which includes cucumber, tomato, pepper, and eggplant, and our outdoor hybrid seed production includes watermelon, melon, onion, and pumpkin,” Maryam Golabadi, a faculty member and associate professor of plant production and genetics department of Islamic Azad University’s Isfahan branch, told ANA.

“The hybrid seeds of these products were all imported in the past, and for the first time, we indigenized and produced them in Iran, and now these products have reached the stage of commercialization and sale inside the country and in the region,” she added.

“So far, we have managed to produce and register 67 different hybrid seed varieties of cucumber and tomato in the greenhouse and outdoor sector, and registered greenhouse pepper, watermelon and melon in the Research Institute for Registration and Certification of Seeds and Seedlings (of Iran),” Golabadi said.

In a relevant development in January, Iranian scientists at a technological company in cooperation with the National Center for Genetic Reserves managed to produce and commercialize pure hybrid seeds, breaking the monopoly of foreign states.

The cooperation resulted in production of pure hybrid seeds of over five varieties of greenhouse cucumber, greenhouse colored bell pepper, lettuce, sugar beet and watermelon.

“Research was conducted on 40 varieties of hybrid lettuce seeds for one year and finally 8 varieties (genotypes) of lettuce were selected. These are 8 pure hybrid seed varieties (f1) that have reached the stage of commercialization and presentation to the market,” said Mohammad Sajjad Tabatabayee, the managing-director of the technological company.

Also, Mohsen Khosravi, the manager of seed department of the company, said that one of the achievements of the company was to present to the market a beet seed that was produced by domestic experts from the Iranian-British line.

“We have five varieties of greenhouse cucumbers among other products and hybrid watermelon seed of all types is one of our other achievements,” he added.

“During a ceremony, 8 varieties of lettuce, 5 varieties of greenhouse cucumber, sugar beet and sweet pepper produced in cooperation with other institutions and companies will be unveiled,” Khosravi said.

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