Strawberry is one of the most important products of Kurdistan Province and enjoys first place in the country in terms of production (37069 tons per annum) and total area of land dedicated to its cultivation (2283 hectares) in the province.  Kurdistan Province produces 60% of all strawberries produced in Iran. Applying new and scientific methods in the production of strawberries is of great importance. University of Kurdistan’s Faculty of Agriculture established the Strawberry Breeding and Agronomic Research Institute in 2000 with the aim of providing a scientific research basis for the study of its plant pathology and the latest and best methods of strawberry cultivation and breeding.  This research institute has two research groups: Strawberry Biotechnology and Breeding and Strawberry Agronomics, Economics and Marketing.The overall goals of this research institute is devoted to:

• the study of genetic diversity of native species of strawberry,
• gene resistance to pests and diseases,
• gene resistance to drought and salinity on the cultivars in the region,
• cultivation of common cultures for the production of healthy seedlings and their introduction for proliferation at aggregate level.