The national Project of Iranian Olive Germplasm, Qualitative breeding, Identification and  classification of different Iranian Olive oil

Introduction

The term germ plasm was first used by the German biologist August Weismann (1834–1914). His germ plasm theory states that multicellular organisms consist of germ cells that contain and transmit. heritable information, and somatic cells which carry out ordinary bodily functions

The utility of germplasm collections

The world's food supply is based on intensive agriculture, which relies on genetic uniformity. But this uniformity increases crop vulnerability to pests and stresses

   Developing an appropriate strategy to assess genetic variability
 The use of germplasm collections for specific breeding purposes

Iranian Olive Germplasm

The National Project of Iranian Olive Germplasm (NPIOG) has started from September 2009 based on collection and identification of all olive populations exist in Iran which are roughly 35 genepool. A research team of NIGEB and Olive Research Office of Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture are collaborating to improve the project for about 12 years, all under the coordination of Dr. Tahmasebi Enferadi. Operation units are consisting of followed research team: breeders, molecular geneticists, pathologists, geologists, topographists and olive oil experts (both biotechnology and analytic aspects) from agricultural centers of all provinces.
The project is predicted to finish at 2021 and its initial outcomes including Identification, organization and registration of Iranian olive germplasm and their genetic diversity will publish at the late of 2010

Objective

The objective of this project gives access to genetic diversity to help introducing new varieties that can resist pests, diseases, and environmental stresses

The fundamental step of this project

 Study of the distributing olive germplasm in Iran.
 Preserving germplasm
 Evaluating germplasm
 Documenting germplasm