The Academic Center for Education Culture and Research has designed 14 tech projects for the current Iranian year (started March 21) to promote modern agriculture and livestock breeding.
Darab Yazdani, the head of Agriculture and Natural Resources Office at the center, said preliminary studies of these projects have been conducted, which will be launched based on their priorities by state and private sponsors, IRIB reported.
He added that the center has several projects on its agenda, including the production of frozen embryos for beef and dairy cows, genetic modification of domestic poultry to increase egg-laying chickens, and development of technology for producing five million barramundi fingerlings (a type of fish also called Asian sea bass), four types of hybrid vegetable seeds and several ecofriendly pesticides and medicines for domestic animals.
“These projects are aimed at promoting productivity and efficiency of agriculture and livestock breeding, along with curbing environmental contamination and injecting modern technologies into the industry,” he said.
“The current year’s plans are mostly related to the projects underway.”
According to the official, tough US sanctions on the one hand and the outbreak of novel coronavirus in Iran on the other hampered researches and projects last year.
“We have been struggling with technological gaps, shortage of equipment and financial shortfalls. However, these impediments couldn’t cancel even one project,” he said.
Yazdani hoped that the indigenization of basic agricultural equipment will expedite the center’s efforts.
Criticizing the bureaucracy slowing the issuance of research permits, he said state administrations complicate the process instead of easing it. He called on related authorities to streamline the paperwork and help boost efficient endeavors being made in the key industry.
Nanotech Helps
In another effort to modernize the agricultural sector and curb water use, Iranian academics urged authorities and farmers to employ nanotechnology in the sector.
Alireza Allafchian, deputy director of Isfahan University of Technology’s Nanotech Research Center, said since Iran is a semi-arid country, managing surface water and making efficient agricultural use of it can greatly help the sector.
“Nanotech water treatment systems can store and purify surface water and lower the evaporation rate, creating a reliable source for irrigation,” he added.
Allafchian noted that in such systems, nanomembranes are used to soften the water and remove physical, biological and chemical contaminants.
“Nanoparticles can be used in many ways to provide clean water. Several local knowledge-based businesses are currently engaged in such enterprises,” he said.
The official explained that nanomaterial is defined as "material with any external dimension in the nanoscale or having an internal structure or surface structure in the nanoscale - the length ranges approximately from 1 nm to 100 nm”.
Nanotechnology, according to Allafchian, can increase crop productivity and minimize pesticide applications by using nanoparticle-mediated gene or DNA transfer in plants.
“Genetic modification of crops, reducing agricultural waste and increasing products with the use of nano-biocompatible materials are some of the numerous benefits of nanotechnology in the field,” he added.
The application of nanotech in farming industries also includes nano-formulations of chemicals for developing pesticides and fertilizers, using nanosensors in crop protection, identifying diseases and residues of chemicals, applying nano-devices for genetic engineering of plants and undertaking postharvest management.
“Nanotechnology has the ability to revolutionize agriculture and the food industry, if adequate support is provided to experts and the talented young generation working in the field,” Allafchian said.
According to the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology, 270 Iranian firms are currently active in nanotechnology, which can be a game-changer for all industrial fields run by conventional policies.
The official believes that creating a proper environment for research, providing opportunities to advance nanotechnology and exchanging know-how with other leading nations are necessary for sustainable development.
Earlier Efforts
The application of different technologies in agriculture has gained momentum in Iran over the past few years. To upgrade the key industry, the academia and those active in the technology ecosystem have launched initiatives.
In late January 2020, the Islamic Azad University and Martyrs and Veterans Affairs Foundation jointly launched an accelerator to support startups using agricultural technologies and to expand Iran’s startup ecosystem.
The two sides signed a deal to implement joint research projects on food safety and establish a research and innovation fund.
The deal is expected to help introduce new technologies into agricultural industries and commercialize innovative ideas developed by tech teams.
According to IAU officials, the university owns 17 hectares of greenhouses in 235 branches spread across the country, which area is planned to expand to 50 hectares for use as laboratories by startups.
In 2019, a private knowledge-based company announced the indigenization of drones for assisting farmers.
“Sabokbal Helia Aseman Company designs and manufactures agricultural drones used in farms,” the company’s managing director, Mohsen Siadatnejad, said.
“Buying drones from other countries is costly while domestic knowledge-based firms are manufacturing small aircraft at lower costs,” he added.
Speaking about the high potential for exporting drones, Siadatnejad said, “We are in talks with neighboring states but have not yet reached the export stage.”
Agricultural drones let farmers see their fields from the sky. The bird's eye-view can reveal many issues such as irrigation problems, soil variation and pest and fungal infestations.
Multispectral images show a near-infrared and visual spectrum view. They show differences between healthy and unhealthy plants, a difference not always clearly visible to the naked eye, which can help assess crop growth and production.
Data provided to farmers can also help cut the use of pesticides and water consumption.
