In memory of Academician Rezo Jabnidze
The Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences announces with deep sorrow that a prominent scientist in the agricultural field, Academician of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Deputy Director of the Adjara Scientific Coordination Center of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Emeritus Professor of Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, educator of many generations, Rezo Jabnidze, passed away at the
age of 71.
The scientific community of our country is well aware of Mr. Rezo’s scientific, pedagogical and public activities. After graduating with honors from the Georgian State Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, he continued his studies at the postgraduate course of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Tea, Subtropical Crops and Tea Industry. In 1984, he defended his candidate's thesis, and in 1994, his doctoral thesis. In 1996, he was awarded the title of professor.
Academician Rezo Jabnidze's work can be divided into two directions: public and scientific-pedagogical. For many years, he headed the Agricultural Department of the State Planning Committee of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. He was the first deputy chairman of the State Statistics Committee of Adjara, later acting chairman.
In 1994, he was appointed rector of the newly established Batumi State Agricultural Institute of the Georgian Agrarian University. His outstanding ability to successfully solve topical problems placed him among the leading agricultural scientists and teachers of Georgia. In 2012-2019, he was elected as the Chairman of the Dissertation Council at the Faculty of Technology of Batumi University; during this time, 24 applicants were awarded the academic degree of Doctor in the field of agriculture. Under his guidance, 9 doctoral students defended their dissertations.
Academician Rezo Jabnidze has published more than 250 scientific works, including 18 recommendations, 8 monographs and 5 textbooks. Some of the works have been published abroad.
Mr. Rezo's scientific, pedagogical and public activities have been duly appreciated. He has been awarded the Order of Honor, the Akaki Tsereteli and Iakob Gogebashvili medals;
In 2019, the textbook published by him: “Subtropical Crops” was awarded the Prize of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences for the best fundamental, educational and applied work of the year in the agricultural field, and he has received the Academy’s honorary diploma for achievements in the agricultural field. In the person of Academician Rezo Jabnidze, Georgian agricultural science has lost an excellent father, scientist and teacher, whose name will forever remain in the memory of his friends and colleagues.
Commision of Agrarian Innovations
On June 18, 2025, a meeting of the Commission on Agrarian Innovations under the Presidium of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences was held, at which the Head of the Fruit Growing Research Service of the Agricultural Scientific-Research Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Doctor of Agriculture Zviad Bobokashvili, delivered a report on the topic: “On the aspects of pomological and agronomic study of promising introduced and local varieties of fruit”.
The speaker noted that fruit growing is a traditional branch of Georgian agriculture, which provides the country with an annual export volume of up to 200 million US dollars and the production of products worth up to 120 million GEL for domestic consumption. The increased interest in this sector is evident, which was reflected both in the cultivation of new modern types of orchards, as well as in the diversification of production and raising the level of agrotechnology.
Nevertheless, Georgian fruit growers face serious challenges. It is necessary to grow economically profitable, stable and competitive crops against the backdrop of climate change, in conditions of potential reduction of labor resources, increasing imports and asynchronous supply-consumption cycles in the market.
The wrong decision made in the selection of varieties during the cultivation of an orchard poses insurmountable difficulties for a new or existing agribusiness in fruit production. Therefore, the well-known axiom that “the variety is the basis of success” once again confirms its truth. Surveys of Georgian fruit growers show that the evaluation and testing of new varieties is a research priority in fruit growing.
Over the past three decades, the world has been experiencing a reduction or cancellation of state selection programs for fruit varieties, which is due to the indecision of economic and marketing issues. As a result, breeding programs have shifted into the hands of private initiative breeding companies, which are interested in using multiple varieties in the turnover for the purpose of product realization.
The range of varieties available to Georgian fruit producers has been increased by foreign breeding organizations and nurseries, however, it is worth noting that at the same time the risks in the direction of adaptation-tolerance of imported fruit tree genotypes to the climatic conditions of the country are also increasing. The proposed varieties may exhibit high commodity qualities in the specific region of their breeding, however, their actual behavior in the target regions of Georgian fruit growing raises many question marks. Therefore, it is necessary to study new varieties in advance, before a specific variety is offered to Georgian fruit farmers.
The main work in terms of studying fruit tree varieties in Georgia is being carried out at the Agricultural Research Center, where the largest collection of fruit trees in our country is grown. It includes more than 450 varieties, forms and samples of 14 fruit and berry crops. As a result of the agronomic study of varieties over the past decade, a wide range of promising high-yielding and competitive varieties have been selected for fruit farmers for the purpose of conventional and bioorganic fruit production.
A discussion was held after the report. Main presented was asked questions and opinions were expressed by the members of the commission: Z. Loladze, G. Tsopurashvili, G. Javakhishvili, N. Khatiashvili, Ts. Samadashvili, O. Tedoradze, N. Khokhashvili, A. Didebulidze. The relevant resolution was adopted.
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June 17 - World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
On June 17 of this year, a round table dedicated to the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was held in the small conference hall of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, organized by the Department of Agronomic Sciences, on the topic: “The Role of Soil in Adaptation to Drought.”
The round table was attended by Academician-Secretary of the Department of Agronomic Sciences, Academician Gogola Margvelashvili; Academician-Secretary of the same department, Dr. Giorgi Gambashidze; Chief Academician-Secretary of the Academy, Academician Aleksandre Didebulidze; Head of the Academic Department, Dr. Marine Barvenashvili; Academician Zaur Chankseliani; Academician-Secretary of Environmental Protection and Forestry, Academician Lasha Dolidze; Chief Specialist for Relations and Activities with International Organizations, Dr. Tinatin Epitshvili; Personnel Inspector Ekaterine Migriauli; Leading specialists: Larisa Chaika, Ketevan Chipashvili, Dali Tarkhnishvili. The round table was opened and the Academician-Secretary of the Department of Agronomic Sciences, Academician Gogola Margvelashvili, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. He reminded the audience of the history of the establishment of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, its importance. He emphasized the fact that today the fight against land degradation has gone beyond the problem of one country and must be considered on a global scale. Ms. Gogola also touched upon the problems and challenges related to the condition of Georgian soils, and presented measures to be taken to improve them.
In his speech, Academician G. Margvelashvili also spoke about the deserts on Earth and their importance. He drew attention to the representatives of flora and fauna adapted to desert conditions. He noted that there are special deserts on Earth that are of great interest to tourists. Among them: “Porcelain Desert”, “Yuni Desert”, “Danakil Desert” and others.
Dr. Giorgi Gambashidze presented a report on the round table: “The Role of Soil in Adaptation to Drought”. He emphasized two important components of soil, on which the quality of moisture retention in the soil largely depends. These are: soil granulometric composition and soil organic matter. According to the granulometric composition, the following are found in the soil: coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand, sand with loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, loam with silt, loam with clay, silty-clay loam, sandy-clay loam, sandy clay, silty clay, clay. Each of them has a different ability to retain moisture. The most moisture is retained in loamy and sandy-clay loams. Here, the amount of water in the top 30 cm of the soil varies from 43.75 - 62.5 t/ha. Coarse sandy soil retains the least moisture - 10 - 18.75 t/ha. As for the role of organic matter in the soil in retaining water available to plants, it was noted that by increasing the organic matter in the soil by 1%, it is possible to increase the water supply in the 0-30 cm layer per 1 ha by 53.4 t, which provides water for vegetable crops for 2 weeks.
In his report, Dr. G. Gambashidze also discussed the annual sequestration potential of organic carbon in agricultural soils in Georgia. In this regard, Samgrelo stood out with the best indicator, with 1.6 t/ha during the year. The Tbilisi region lagged behind all regions with the same indicator, with 0.18 t/ha.
It was found that soil moisture has a certain impact on the reproduction of harmful organisms. An interesting object in this regard is the Italian locust, which requires dry soil with a moisture content of less than 5% to lay eggs.
After the reports presented at the round table, a discussion was held. A number of questions were asked, to which the speakers gave exhaustive answers.
The work of the round table was summarized by the Academician-Secretary of the Department of Agronomic Sciences, Academician Gogola Margvelashvili. He thanked the audience for coming, and Dr. G. Gambashidze for the report presented. In turn, the participants of the round table also thanked Ms. Gogola for the interesting information about deserts.
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World Food Safety Day
On June 11, 2025, an event dedicated to World Food Safety Day - ''One Health, One Future - Science-Based Food Safety'' was held in Tbilisi, at the Museum Hall of the LEPL National Wine Agency, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
The event was attended by: FAO Representative in Georgia Raymond Yele; Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Apollon Kakabadze; Deputy Head of the National Food Agency Giorgi Iakobashvili; UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia Didier Tghebiuki; FAO Senior Policy Advisor Jumber Maruashvili; Head of the Food Research Department of the LEPL State Laboratory of Agriculture Marina Ghvinjilia; Vasil Kvernadze, Head of the Food Safety Department of the National Food Agency; Jonash Hager, Project Coordinator of the Czech Development Agency; Paata Imnadze, Deputy Director General for Science of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health; Maia Metreveli, Head of the Risk Assessment Service of the Agricultural Scientific Research Center; Drago Marojevic, FAO International Expert on Food Safety; Academician-Secretary of the Department of Food Safety and Food Technology of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Academician Zurab Tskitishvili and Academician-Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry Sciences of the same Academy, Academician Lasha Dolidze.
The following persons welcomed the audience: Mr. Raimund Yele, Apollon Kakabadze, Giorgi Iakobashvili, Didier Tgebiuk, (video address).
Following the welcoming remarks, Mr. Jumber Maruashvili delivered a report on “Intensification of Food Safety and Control Systems: Strategic Review and Assessment”, while Ms. Marina Ghvinjilia, Head of the Food Research Department of the State Laboratory of Agriculture of the Republic of Georgia, presented a report on “The Role of the Laboratory in Ensuring Food Safety and Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance” -
A panel discussion was held on the topic: “Synergy for Ensuring Safe Food and a Healthy Future”. The following participants participated in the discussion: Mr. Vasil Kvernadze, who presented a report on “Sustainability of the Food Safety System for Ensuring Unified Health”; Mr. Jonash Hager, Project Coordinator of the Czech Development Agency, presented a report on “Sustainable Use of Pesticides”; Mr. Paata Imnadze spoke about the “Epidemic of some food-borne infections”; Ms. Maia Metreveli presented a report: “Efforts of the Agricultural Research Center to strengthen the risk assessment process in the direction of international cooperation”; The report of the FAO International Expert on Food Safety, Drago Marojevic, was about “Tackling antimicrobial resistance through a One Health approach”; The topic of the report of Academician Zurab Tskitishvili was: “Coordinating the interrelationship of risk analysis components”.
The event dedicated to World Food Safety Day was summarized by the FAO Senior Policy Advisor, Jumber Maruashvili, who thanked the audience for participating in the meeting.