Smart projects outlined at Iran’s cotton research institute
Head of the Cotton Research Institute of Iran announced the implementation of smart projects in the cotton sector, stating, "Two smart projects in the cotton field have been formulated."
Qorban Qorbani Nasrabad said that two smart projects have been formulated for cotton, one of which focuses on "stress memory and related mechanisms in transferring drought tolerance and stress in cotton plants," IRNA reported.
The head of the research institute said the project pertains to the screening of drought-tolerant varieties.
He also mentioned the project on "machine learning algorithms to identify physiological and biochemical mechanisms of drought resistance in commercial cotton varieties," noting it represents "a novel step for targeted breeding and smart management of cotton plants under environmental stress conditions."
"The machine learning algorithms project for identifying physiological and biochemical mechanisms of drought resistance in commercial cotton varieties will ultimately enable us to develop a model for predicting cotton lint yield under drought conditions," Nasrabad continued.
He also announced joint projects with the Animal Science Research Institute and the Fisheries Science Research Institute regarding "the use of cottonseed for livestock feed and cold-water fish nutrition," adding, "We have prioritized a feasibility project to estimate cotton cultivation area and yield."
"The aforementioned project, using satellite imagery to estimate cultivation area, yield, and zoning of cotton lint in the country’s farms, is currently underway," he said. Nasrabad concluded that the institute has "joint projects with the Animal Science Research Institute and Fisheries Science Research Institute concerning the use of cottonseed for livestock feed and cold-water fish nutrition."