February Sessions
Agrarian Innovation Commission session
In February, a commission meeting was held, at which the report prepared by the Viticulture Cadastre Division of the National Wine Agency of the State of Georgia was discussed: "Ways and results of the construction of the vineyard cadastre of Georgia" (authors: Doctor of Agriculture, Chief Specialist Irma Mdinaradze and Head of the Department, Doctor of Agriculture Davit Maghradze).
Academician Aleksandre Didebulidze, the chairman of the commission, opened the session with an introductory speech, who briefly described the current situation in the winemaking sector of Georgia and the problems to be solved, and emphasized the great role of the creation of the cadastre of vineyards in solving these problems.
Davit Maghradze, the speaker, noted that all EU member countries, where viticulture and winemaking are developed, have vineyard cadastres. Based on the current reality, the planning and implementation of the vineyard cadastre of Georgia can be characterized as a step forward towards the European experience. Considering the above, since 2014, the National Wine Agency of the State of Georgia has been implementing the Cadastre project of vineyards of Georgia, which is a means of monitoring vineyard areas and grape production; It is created by collecting detailed agronomic information about vineyard plots, creating a register of winegrowers and winemakers, and constantly updating it by collecting survey information based on aerial photo images.
The purpose of the Vineyard Cadastre is:
Registration and storage of information about all existing units (enterprises) in the vine and wine sector;
Collecting, registering and storing information on the location of Georgian vineyards, their area, varietal composition, planting year and other indicators related to viticulture practices, based on GIS technologies;
Production and storage of questionnaire (so-called "alphanumeric") and graphical historical data of vineyards;
Taking into account viticulture zones for the analysis of the production potential of vineyards, promoting the creation of new zones and clarifying the boundaries of existing zones;
Forecasting of grape harvest and wine production, development of statistical reports based on information collected in the viticulture register, and more.
In 2014-2021, the vineyards of the Kakheti, Racha and Lechkhumi wine-growing zones were fully described within the framework of the vineyard cadastre project, covering a total area of 42,089 ha. The harvest was carried out in the mentioned zones on the basis of cadastre extracts of vineyards, and in 2022, the cadastre construction work continued in the viticulture zone of Kartli (Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli) - maps of the region were uploaded to the unified database of the cadastre of vineyards, on which vineyard polygons were drawn, and cadastral information is currently being collected. In 2023, it is planned to continue construction of the cadastre in the viticulture zones of Meskheti, Imereti, Guria, Samegrelo and Adjara.
The Vice-President of the Academy, Academician Givi Japaridze, Academicians Nodar Chitanava and Aleksandre Didebulidze, Professors Tsotne Samadashvili, Gela Javakhishvili, Nodar Khatiashvili, Otar Karchava, Anzor Meskhishvili, Academy Scholar Dr. Ekaterina Katsitadze, and Dr. Zurab Loladze took part in the discussion after the report. They wished the members of the Cadastre Department important achievements in the direction of creating the vineyard cadastre of Georgia and new successes in their further work.
February 11, International Day of Women and Girls celebrated at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences
International Day of Women and Girls in Science – February 11, 2023 allows us to honor women's significant achievements in science and place a much-needed focus on girls entering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers.
On February 13 of the current year, a ceremonial session dedicated to the International Day of Scientific Women and Girls was held in the conference hall of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The session was attended by: the President of the Academy, Academician Guram Aleksidze, the Deputy President of the Academy, Coordinator of Scientific Departments, Academician Anatoli Giorgadze, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Academician Jemal Gugushvili, learned secretaries of the scientific departments of the Academy: Dr. Marine Barvenashvili and Academician Lasha Dolidze. Employees of academic and administrative departments and invited guests, among whom were Zaza Maruashvili, the head of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, Zurab Khutsishvili, an employee of the Science Department, and women scientists and agriculturists working in the agricultural field.
The session was opened by the President of the Academy, Academician Guram Aleksidze, who addressed the audience with a welcome speech. He briefly reviewed the purpose of establishing the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. He noted that today in Georgia, there are many female scientists working in various fields of science, among whom there are many successful female agriculturist scientists. They make a significant contribution to the development of the country's agrarian science, that is why the work and merits of the mentioned wome scientists are highly significant and appreciated.
Then Mr. Guram gave a speech to the learned secretary of the scientific departments of the Academy, Dr. Marine Barvenashvili, who presented to the audience with a report: "Prominent women scientists in the agricultural sector of Georgia". Dr. M. Barvenashvili reviewed the important episodes depicting the scientific-research activities of the outstanding women scientists of the past and present working in the agricultural field. Ksenia Bakhtadze, who was the first Georgian woman academician was awarded in 1948, the State Prize of the Soviet Union for the creation of "Georgian Selective Tea No. 1" and "Georgian Selective Tea No. 2" out of 19 varieties of tea breeds by her. Professor Rusudan Khubutia, whose scientific work was related to the problem of weeding of agricultural crops in Georgia, regularities of formation of agrocenosis, harmfulness of weeds, aspects of bioecology, was no less worthy of the country. Mrs. Rusudani was a member/correspondent of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Georgia.
As for today's situation, the speaker focused on the academician of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Mrs. Gogola Margvelashvili, who at the same time is the academician-secretary of the agronomic sciences department of the academy. Agrochemist by specialty, she is the only Georgian woman academician in this field in the history of Georgia. It is also worth noting that Academician Gogola Margvelashvili is considered the head of the Georgian scientific school for the development of theoretical and practical foundations of the effective use of phosphorus fertilizers in the main types of soils of Eastern Georgia. Then Dr. M. Barvenashvili spoke about the scientific and pedagogical activities of Lamara Jikia, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Zaira Kapiashvili, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, Mzago Lobzhanidze, Doctor of Biological Sciences, and Natalia Diakova, Doctor of Agriculture, about their achievements in the development of agricultural science.
At the end of the report, Dr. Marina Barvenashvili once again congratulated the female scientists in the hall on the International Day of Scientific Women and Girls, wished them long life, health and success in their scientific activities. After Barvenashvili's report, the President of the Academy, Academician G. Aleksidze gave the floor to the head of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, Mr. Zaza Maruashvili. Mr. Zaza congratulated the women scientists in the hall on a remarkable date and wished them progress in their fields. Then he spoke about Georgian women scientists, their role in the development of science in the country, as well as about the events and activities held on the above-mentioned date throughout the country. Mr. Zaza expressed his hope that women scientists-agriculturists will continue their work with their usual attitude and enthusiasm and will have their say both in scientific and research activities, as well as in terms of education of the next generation. At the end of the ceremonial session dedicated to the International Day of Scientific Women and Girls, the President of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Academician Guram Aleksidze awarded 19 successful women with certificates of honor of the Academy for their scientific achievements in the agricultural field, among them were graduates of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Georgia, the Scientific Research Center of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, the Technical University of Georgia , representatives of the Institute of Tea and Subtropical Cultures of the Agrarian University of Georgia, Batumi State University named after Shota Rustaveli, representatives of the National Wine Agency. The ladies awarded with certificates of honor of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Georgia thanked the President of the Academy for such great appreciation and promised to continue their creative and scientific activities for the benefit of our country.