Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in his dismissal of a US plan for Iran to abandon uranium enrichment, asserted Wednesday that the nuclear industry is not just for energy production.
Diverse fields of basic science and engineering, including nuclear physics, energy engineering, materials engineering, as well as sensitive, high-precision technologies in medical equipment, aerospace, and electronic sensors, are reliant on nuclear technology, he said.
The main demand of the Americans, Ayatollah Khamenei said, is to completely deprive Iran of the nuclear industry and its many benefits for the people.
One crucial use of the nuclear industry, apart from playing a vital role in securing electricity supply, is in agriculture and food security.
As a matter of fact, some of the most innovative ways of improving agricultural practices involve nuclear technology.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), nuclear technology is increasingly used to enhance food security and sustainability, addressing challenges like crop resistance, pest control, and resource management.
As for Iran, nuclear technology is providing innovative solutions to water shortages and pests, which in addition to increasing productivity, help ensure food security and preserve genetic resources.
According to overarching documents including the Constitution, Vision Document and Development Plans, the agricultural sector has a central role in Iran’s development and progress.
The guidelines of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei about food security and self-sufficiency in basic products underpin the quintessential role of agriculture.
The sector ensures access to reliable food supply, which is crucial for human survival and the development of societies. It also contributes significantly to economic growth by providing employment, income, and export opportunities and enhancing resilience against global market fluctuations.
Agricultural production in Iran has grown fourfold since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, where products have specifically increased from 25 million tonnes to 122 million tonnes.
This significant growth is attributed to various factors, including increased focus on advancements in technology, and improved irrigation techniques.
Iranian agriculture has significant capabilities in resources and production factors, including fertile lands, diverse climates, soil resources, water, and rich genetic reserves.
But like many countries, the sector faces many challenges, including drought, salinity, soil erosion, frostbite and waste of agricultural products plus plant and livestock pests and diseases which threaten food security and genetic resources.
These challenges necessitate a multifaceted response which incorporates new scientific and research methods.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and its affiliate, the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, have been closely interacting with Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the private sector on the use of nuclear technology to tackle the challenges.
Since three decades ago, the Nuclear Medicine and Agriculture Research Center in Karaj has introduced 14 varieties of rice, cotton, soybean, rapeseed, and tangerine tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses with increased yield, and improved quality characteristics.
Using mutation breeding and gamma irradiation methods, numerous more projects are underway to improve crop, horticultural, and ornamental plant varieties.
Nuclear technologies have also made a big difference in detecting, controlling and preventing transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases.
Iran’s nuclear agriculture researchers have produced foot-and-mouth disease and influenza vaccines using gamma irradiation. They have also produced biological supplements and feed improvers for livestock, poultry, and aquatic animals.
Other than that, the nuclear-derived, sterile insect technique is an environmentally-friendly method of managing insect pests.
In recent years, Iranian researchers have made an important achievement in controlling key pests of orchards, especially pomegranate borer also known as the Anar butterfly, and Mediterranean fruit fly.
Irradiation also helps to preserve food and reduce food waste. Using direct gamma-ray irradiation, the industrial centers in Tehran, Bonab, Yazd, Qazvin and Shahrekord help control stored pests and reduce the microbial load of agricultural products and reduce product waste after harvesting.
Nuclear methods further help scientists determine the health of soils and rate of erosion.
Using the irradiation method, Iranian researchers have produced a biological fungicide for controlling soil-borne diseases, replacing common chemical pesticides in fighting fungal diseases of soil and plants.
These few examples show why the agricultural sector and people’s survival is one of the most widely used areas for the application of nuclear science and technology.
They justify Iran’s great efforts to use this scientific and peaceful method as an effective, accurate, rapid, and unique measure in solving the challenges that Iranian and global agriculture face in the face of climate change.
It is hoped that the achievements and capacities of nuclear technology will be developed and used for improving different aspects of people’s lives.
Fortunately, Iran’s nuclear program is not limited to energy production and encompasses a whole gamut of manufacturing applied products, and developing scientific advances in the application of nuclear technology in agriculture and other peaceful fields.
