Seeds are the foundation of agriculture
Green Agriculture News; In this regard, seeds as the foundation of agriculture are of particular importance. There are vast commercialization platforms in the field of production and improvement of seeds and raw materials needed for agriculture at the national level, which, if taken into account, can meet the basic needs of the country and establish Iran as one of the regional poles of seed and base production.
According to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Iran ranks second to sixth in the world in terms of fruit production in most important summer crops such as cucumbers, watermelons, melons, tomatoes, onions, and... This is while we are witnessing the use of modified seeds for self-consumption in the country.
Seeds are the main pillar of production in agriculture
Currently, many advanced countries prioritize seed and rootstock production (with modern technologies such as biotechnology, gene transfer, tissue culture, etc.) in their agricultural affairs and plan in a way that will maintain their dominance and dominance over the world in this way.
In addition to being the main pillar of production in agriculture, its modification and production can also provide a great service in the country's climatic conditions by significantly increasing the yield of products. Seed production is effective in preventing foreign exchange outflows, generating high income, and creating widespread entrepreneurship at the national level; If capable and trained experts are used.
Imported seeds that are supplied without considering Iran's climatic conditions have low production and performance and do not have the necessary adaptations, for this reason, the use of pesticides in their production will be higher than the standard and does not have a proper economic justification.
Given the very high price of imported modified and hybrid seeds (especially in vegetable and summer seeds) and the need for high scientific power to produce them, efforts to produce these seeds can be very cost-effective, because some global seed trade and some of their unique characteristics have caused some of these seeds to be sold at very high prices in our country. While estimates made by experienced experts suggest that the total cost of producing these seeds can be reduced by one-third of the imported equivalent.
Increasing consumption of modified seeds
The consumption of modified seeds is increasing every day due to farmers' awareness and its profitability. The turnover of seeds and rootstocks in the country amounts to millions of dollars, but their production in the country is unfortunately not seriously supported by the government, because if hybrid seeds of appropriate quality are produced, while creating more employment for seed industry activists, significant income will be generated and foreign exchange will be prevented.
In the developed countries of the world, very reputable research and academic institutions are also active in this field and after commercialization, they offer these seeds to the world under their own brand, and other countries are forced to import them by spending heavy budgets.
Characteristics of modified seeds
Usually, modified seeds have the highest genetic and biological purity and have high germination power, so the product obtained from cultivation Modified seeds have a more uniform and better green surface, and due to the elimination of low-quality seeds, seedlings from modified seeds have stronger growth and root systems, and are less vulnerable to environmental stresses such as cold and drought.
The use of modified seeds has maximum genetic and even physical purity due to compliance with farm standards. In the discussion of hybrid seeds, it should be noted that continuous cultivation of one type of seed in agricultural fields for several years due to the mixing of varieties and also genetic impurity (due to the percentage of cross-pollination) It leads to a decrease in crop yield.
The modified numbers are more uniform than self-consumed seeds due to the absence of weed seeds, solid objects, small, broken and wrinkled seeds and seeds of other plants, which makes the field uniform, increases the yield and increases the income of farmers.
In this regard, healthy and resistant seeds are among the most obvious characteristics of high-quality seeds. In agricultural fields, resistant and disinfected seeds should be used for cultivation. Other characteristics of suitable seeds include their color, moisture content, smell and shine.