Iran to Produce Bt Cotton
June 17, 2015| |
The first sample of Iranian Bt cotton was revealed during the opening ceremony of the 9th National and 1st International Biotechnology Congress of Iran organized by the Biotechnology Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Bt cotton plant was unveiled by the Minister of Agriculture, Mahmoud Hojjati, Head of the Congress and Chief of Biotech Development Staff, Dr. Mostafa Ghanei, in the presence of the World Food Prize Laureate, Dr. Marc Van Montagu, and over 1,000 participants.
Dr. Seyyed Elyas Mortazavi, the representative of Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) said that the Bt cotton project was initiated in Iran in1999. "Bt cotton yields up to 6 tons per hectare, which is at least 30 percent more than non-GM varieties," he added.
The Bt cotton cultivar is semi-drought tolerant and resistant to viral diseases. Its potential introduction comes at a time that President Hassan Rouhani has assumed the presidential office. Bt cotton is expected to be approved for planting soon.
For more information, contact Dr. Behzad Ghareyazie at ghareyazie@yahoo.com.
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