Islamic Azad University Constructing 10-Hectare Fully Smart Greenhouse to Produce Hybrid Seeds
“For the sustainable, comprehensive and continuous development of its knowledge-based, technological and innovative activities in full compliance with Iran’s policies, our university is implementing various plans, including the construction of a 10-hectare fully intelligent greenhouse relying on hybrid seed production in the field of vegetables and greens in the Mahdasht farm by the end of the university's fiscal year with the participation of agricultural and material innovation centers based on completely indigenous knowledge and technology of university faculty members and the creation of five new innovation centers in accordance with the province's comparative advantages with the help of artificial intelligence,” Hossein Kalantari told ANA.
“Biotechnology-related projects for the development of medical, agricultural, and pharmaceutical products, projects related to information technology and artificial intelligence and participation in the creation of intelligent systems and applied software and artificial intelligence, creating a computer game production hub, environmental projects, renewable energy, precious metal extraction, making a creative house for cultural and artistic industries in the Karaj branch, and designing and implementing creative urban elements, luxurious architecture, and recreating urban spaces are among the various other projects underway at this university,” he added.
In a relevant development in November, the head of the House of Innovation of Agricultural and Organic Products of Islamic Azad University’s Karaj branch had also announced production of hybrid seeds in glass greenhouses.
Seyed Majid Toliat Abolhassani described achievement of sustainable and knowledge-based agriculture as one of the missions of the Innovation House, and told ANA, “One of our important plans is building a glass greenhouse on 5 hectares of land for the production of hybrid seeds.”
“Measures have been adopted to establish an acceleration center with cooperation of a partner, and plant medicine clinics for the detailed examination of disease and pest symptoms, and receive scientific and practical plans by specialists,” he added.
In agriculture and gardening, hybrid seed is produced by deliberately cross-pollinating parent plants which are genetically distinct. The parents are usually two inbred strains.
Hybrid seed is common in industrial agriculture and home gardening. It is one of the main contributors to the dramatic rise in agricultural output during the last half of the 20th century. Alternatives to hybridization include open pollination and clonal propagation.
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