Iranian Firm Produces Modified Wheat, Barley Seeds to Improve Cultivation in Tropical Areas

“Our seeds, which are better adapted to the climate of tropical regions, have increased the productivity of products, both in terms of quality and quantity, with the resulting profits going directly to the farmers,” said Rahmatollah Karimizadeh, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.

"These products have also led farmers to turn to agricultural work; people who had perhaps given up this work in previous years due to the low productivity of agriculture and the lack of investment, which has created jobs for people in less-developed areas,” he added.

“So far, our seeds have been sent to villages in Golestan, Khorassan, Kohgilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Fars, and Khuzestan provinces, which are often considered as less fertile areas,” Karimzadeh said.

Genetically modified crops (GM crops) are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species.

Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, resistance to chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to a herbicide), or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels, and other industrially useful goods, and for bioremediation.

In a relevant development in 2023, another knowledge-based company in Iran had also succeeded in providing a part of the country's agricultural needs for modified seeds.

“Our company produced the first modified Persian melon seeds in the country and currently enjoys an official and exclusive license to produce modified Khatouni and Dargazi melon seeds from Iran’s Seed and Plant Improvement Institute,” said Alireza Sobhani, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.

He underlined the variety of modified seeds produced in the knowledge-based company, adding, “Among these seeds, we can mention melon, onion, green tea, green bean, watermelon seed, and sweet corn.”

Sobhani said that the seeds produced by his company enjoy superior performance and quality, more reasonable price, and after-sale support.

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