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In 2023, more than 2,000 samples are searched locally and internationally to preserve traditional cereal varieties

The representatives of the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture presented to the state agencies and non-governmental organizations the work done in 2023 of the ongoing project "Strengthening linkages between in situ/on-farm and ex-situ conservation of local PGRFA from Georgia and use for adaptation to climate change’’ in order to preserve traditional varieties of wheat, corn and beans. There were presented the report of fulfilled works.

In 2023, within the framework of the project, the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, at the local and international level, searched for the genetic material of traditional Georgian varieties. At the moment, 44 wheat samples have been received from the National Botanical Garden of Georgia, 227 samples from the US Genbank, including 7 corn, 8 bean and 212 wheat samples; 1773 samples, including 257 of wheat, 1219 of beans and 301 of maize, were obtained from the German genebank. The relevant divisions of the Scientific-Research Center held expeditions in four regions: Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti, Guria and Samegrelo, within which 11 samples of wheat, 90 samples of corn and 100 samples of beans were collected.

It should be noted that the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture has been implementing a 4-year grant project of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) since 2023. The purpose of the project is to study the current state of collections of target crops in Georgia, to enrich the collection of the genetic bank of plants, to return the genetic resources of target crops taken out of Georgia at different times and placed in foreign gene banks, and to organize expeditions to collect genetic resources.

As a result of the implementation of the project, the use and conservation of traditional varieties will be improved, the data of collections of target crops will be available at the national and international level, the distribution of local varieties in the conditions of farmers will be facilitated, which in turn will contribute to the preservation of their biodiversity.

The representatives of the Association of Biological Farming "Elkana", the Association of Georgian Farmers, the Georgian Wheat Producers Association, the National Botanical Garden of Georgia, the Botanical Institute of Ilia State University and the Technical University of Georgia attended the meeting held at the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture.