The Moghan Research and Development (MRD) Center conducts agricultural research to improve Iran's agriculture sector. The MRD center facilitates the transfer of new technologies to vegetable and horticultural crop growers. It conducts research on beef and sheep cattle, poultry, fish, biotechnology, sustainable crop and livestock production systems, and the environmental impact of agriculture. The MRD center is located in northern Iran and has extensive facilities for research including greenhouses, livestock facilities, laboratories, and growth chambers.

1. Moghan Research & Development Center
‫توسعه‬ ‫و‬ ‫تحقیقات‬ ،‫مطالعات‬ ‫مرکز‬
‫مغان‬ ‫دامپروری‬ ‫و‬ ‫صنعت‬ ‫و‬ ‫کشت‬
MRD

2. The Moghan research and development (MRD) center facilitate
the transfer of new technologies and production practices to
growers who are producing fresh, locally-grown vegetables,
other horticultural crops in controlled environments as well as
meat. Crops can be grown year-round using state of the art
greenhouse systems that showcase sustainable production
practices at a commercial pilot scale.
The mission of the MRD is to improve the long-term
competitiveness of the IRAN’s agriculture and food sector
through the development and transfer of innovative
technologies.
It conducts research in the following areas:
 Beef and sheep Cattle Science.
 Poultry Science.
 Fish Science.
 Crop and Livestock Biotechnology Platforms.
 Sustainable Crop and Livestock Production Systems.
 Environmental Impact of Agriculture.
Areas of Research
We at MRD are planning to address the changing needs of IRANIAN
producers and the agri-food sector.
The Centre's areas of core research are
aligned with national priorities to help the
sector adapt and remain competitive in
domestic and global markets.

3. Greater participation in research networks and industry-led
partnerships expands the Centre's innovation capacity. Some
areas of planned research are:
 Conducting research in new technologies to advance the
efficiency, profitability and environmental sustainability of
Red Meat, Fish and Poultry production.
 Finding new strategies and techniques to preserve and enhance
meat quality.
 Gaining additional knowledge of the behavior and welfare of
cattle.
 Breeding crop varieties with improved yield, quality, and
disease and insect resistance. Developing production systems
that will contribute to reducing costs of production, increasing
value and achieving sector competitiveness.
 Conducting research to support food safety and quality regulations, consumer
nutritional needs and preferences, and to develop new products and processes.
 Conducting research on new management strategies to control weeds, crop and
livestock pests, while maintaining environmental quality.
 Assessing the effects of agricultural practices on soil health, water quality, air quality
(greenhouse gas emissions) and crop yields.
 Establishing databases for managing water and land resources.
 Developing management technologies for producing crops.
 Crop improvement and genetics.
 Immunity and disease prevention.
 Water and irrigation systems.

4.  Developing systems for automated harvesting, sorting and packing.
Facts, Figures and Facilities
MRD Centre is located in the Northern part of Iran, in Ardebil
providence adjunct to Pars Abad city. The facility includes:
 45,000 square meters of laboratory/office
complex plus Greenhouse and controlled climate
growth facilities.

5.  Insect-Microbial Containment Facility.
 Facilities for sheep, beef, poultry and Fish , including a research feedlot and feed mill.
 Weather station with 50 years of climate records.
 Growing chambers and cold rooms.
 Climate simulator for treating forage crops.

6.  Liquid and gas chromatography equipment.
 Facilities for measuring CNS (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur),
dissolved organic carbon and N15 analysis, and near
infra-red reflectance spectrometer lab.
 Electron microscopy equipment lab.
 Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer
(ICP-OES) lab.
 Sate of the ART auditoriums.
 Isolated virus orchard.
 Food research and extraction and fractionation laboratory.
 Sensory evaluation laboratory.

7.  Nutrition and quality of food.
 Microscopy facility with scanning, transmission and
confocal capability.
 Research scale controlled atmosphere.
 Plant Virus Collection.
 DNA analyzer.
 GIS laboratories.
 Insect rearing rooms.

8.  Drainage lysimeter.
 Robotics and automation Laboratory.
 Metal and PVC workshop.
State of the art data center
State of the art monitoring and control room