Ahvaz – The Date Palm and Tropical Fruits Research Institute, affiliated to the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, has successfully completed a critical phase of work on its date palm germplasm collection in the southern city.

 

According to a report carried by the official website of the Agriculture Ministry, the project, which involved detailed mapping and staking of the collection area, marks a key step in a national program to organize, improve, and maintain Iran's valuable date palm genetic resources.

 

“The four-phase operation focused on designating precise planting points for new offshoots in vacant spaces within the institute's existing collection,” the report said.

 

This preparatory work has now prepared the site for the next stage: the excavation and filling of planting pits with high-quality soil. This will allow for the expansion and enrichment of the country's date palm gene bank, ensuring the preservation of native varieties for future generations, it added.

 

By undertaking this initiative, the Date Palm and Tropical Fruits Research Institute has demonstrated its commitment to preserving the genetic diversity of native date palms.