Tehran - Researchers at Iran’s Citrus and Subtropical Fruits Research Institute have developed virus-free citrus propagation material and officially introduced two new blood orange varieties, “Aria” and “Irsa,” marking a significant advance in the country’s citrus industry.

 

Speaking at the institute, Sirus Aghajanzadeh, Head of the Citrus and Subtropical Fruits Research Institute, said the two varieties have attracted strong interest from both consumers and orchard owners due to their distinctive appearance and high fruit quality.

 

He explained that the new blood oranges are elongated in shape and meet high standards in terms of taste, marketability, and overall quality.

 

Aghajanzadeh emphasized that the institute has also succeeded in producing healthy primary propagation material, including virus-free seedlings and scions.

 

“These materials are used to establish mother orchards and to produce certified saplings in licensed nurseries,” he said. “They enable growers with old, low-yielding, or disease-affected orchards to replace outdated trees with healthy, high-performing plants, thereby improving productivity and fruit quality.”

 

The official added that the institute has already produced and distributed large quantities of healthy seedlings and scions to provincial agricultural organizations. These organizations, which supervise licensed nurseries, use the material to produce certified disease-free saplings and supply them to farmers across the country.