Azerbaijan Expands Use Of Locally-Developed Wheat Varieties

(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Qabil Ashirov
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A total of 986,000 hectares of land have been sown with grain
crops across Azerbaijan this season, with approximately 60 percent
of these areas planted with local wheat varieties developed by
scientists from the Research Institute of Crop Husbandry (ETI)
under the Ministry of Agriculture, Azernews
reports, citing the director of ETI, Faiq Khudayev.

According to Khudayev, the first and most critical step toward
achieving high productivity in grain cultivation is the selection
of quality seeds.“The Institute is currently conducting breeding
research to develop new varieties adapted to the soil and climate
conditions of various regions across the country, with resistance
to biotic stress factors and enhanced adaptability,” he said.

He emphasized that the agricultural sector, like many others, is
facing new challenges brought about by globalization.

“This makes it essential to develop new, high-yield and
resilient varieties that can meet both current and future demands.
The majority of Azerbaijan’s farmland is either rain-fed or under
limited irrigation. In such conditions, the application of modern
technologies and accelerated breeding methods is especially crucial
to ensure productivity,” Khudayev noted.

Traditional breeding methods, however, are time-consuming, with
the development of a new variety typically taking around 15 years –
a timeline that no longer aligns with the fast-changing needs of
modern agriculture.

“To address this,” Khudayev explained,“the Institute is
shifting from classical methods to genetic-level research and
fast-track breeding technologies. Through hybridization, it is
possible to produce up to six generations in a single year. Using
this approach, new varieties could be developed within five to six
years.”

This transition, he added, will not only boost scientific
efficiency but also allow researchers to respond more flexibly to
the growing demands of farmers and other stakeholders in the
agricultural sector.

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