The President of GAAS is Opening the Conference

         On October 2-4, 2019, in Tbilisi, at Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, an international scientific conference on the topic: “Wheat in European Countries and Georgia as one of the Origin of Wheat” was held.

       Conference was financially supported by Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, (MG-ISE-19-196).

     The aim of the Scientific Conference was to gain knowledge about existed condition of wheat and its spread in Europe as one of the main food cultures. One of the conference objectives was to generalize scientific achievements of European and Georgian researchers in wheat theory and technology. The Conference program embraced the following: Greetings of Georgian and invited

scholars, the plenary sessions and scientific presentations. The following international researchers took part in the Conference:

-       Antonio Michele Stanca (Italy) - Professor, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. President of the Academy of Georgofili, President of the Union of European Academies for Sciences applied to Agriculture, Food and Nature (UEAA), Co - Chairman

-       Professor Michel Thibier ( France). French Academy of Agriculture; Co - Chairman

-       Professor Aleksey Morgunov. ( Turkey). CIMMYT - International Maize and Wheat  Improvement Center, Head of Turkey Office, Co-Chair;

-       José Luis Araus Ortega (Spain) Professor, Universitat de Barcelona, Centre for Research in  Agrotechnology ;

-       Acad. Igor Grinuk ( Ukraine) National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine

 -        T.I. Allahverdiyev, Institute of Moelcular Biology and Biotechology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

      The Conference participants were the representatives of the Ministries of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Environment and Agriculture, Ajara Ministry of Agriculture, Scientific-Research Centers, Georgian Technical University, Batumi Shota Rustaveli and Samtskhe-Javakheti State Universities, Associations, companies, firms, Tbilisi bread companies and other.

 The Conference was opened by the President of the Academy, Academician Guram Aleksidze. Also, foreign participants of the Conference listed above delivered welcoming speeches and wished success in the work of the Conference.

General Director of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation Zviad Gabisonia and Z. Margvelashvili, Head of Science Department, Ministry of Education, Science Culture and Sport, E. Zviadadze, and N. Khokhashvili, Head of department, Ministry of Environment and Agriculture; M. Turmanidze, First Deputy of Ajara Ministry of Agriculture, Professor Kvartskhava, Dean of Agrarian Sciences and Bio-systems Engineering, Georgian Technical University; L. Ujmajuridze, Director of Scientific Research Center, Lali Meskhi, the Head of Georgian Wheat Producers’ Union, and M. Dolidze, the Head of Bread Producers’ Association, and other Georgian invited guests spoke about the significance of the problems raised by the Conference and wished all participants success.  

According to the Conference Program, eight presentations were to be delivered during the Plenary session and fifty presentations during two days of Conference.  

(See the Conference Program in attachment).

Within the Conference framework, an exhibition was organized which presented wheat cultivated species and bread producers’ product. Different Companies, such as “Mzetamze”, “Margi”, Ipkli Dighomi”, Ipkli Gldani”, Georgian Bread House “Kevri” and others exhibited different brands. The participants and guests of the Conference tasted different types of bread made in Tbilisi, and all of them recognized the unique qualities and taste of Georgian bread.

   The Conference foreign participants were invited on the excursion to Georgian National Museum and Kakheti Region. ( Bodbe Monastery complex and Syghnaghi).

From the right, Michele Stanca, the President of the Union of European Academies for Sciences applied to Agriculture, Food and Nature, and Academician Guram Aleksidze, the President of Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

On the 30^th of September, 2019, Academician Aleksandre Didebulidze, a Real Member of Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, became 75 years old and fulfilled his 50-year scientific, educational and social work.

     At present, Academician A. Didebulidze continues his fruitful activities at Georgian National Academy and Georgian Agrarian University successfully; He is a Chair of Commission of Innovations; Learned Secretary of the Commission for Expertise of technological innovations and perspectives; Member of the Union of Alumni of Germany, Member of Scientific Coordinating Council of Journal “Intelect”; and Member of Editorial Board of a journal “Annais of Agrarian Sciences”. 

 Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences wholeheartedly congratulates Aleksandre Didebulidze with the Jubilee and wishes a long, happy and healthy life, further scientific achievements and fruitful public work for the benefit of our country.

On September 25, 2019, a Meeting of the Commission for Agrarian Innovations was held  at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences on the following topic: “Engineering in Agriculture: its present and future perspectives of development”. The Presenter - Dr. of Technical Sciences, Professor  Nugzar Ebanoidze, Head of Agro-Engineering Department at Scientific Research Center of Agriculture, spoke about Ltd “Mechanizatori” which has service centers in different regions and provides modern tractors and other agricultural machines.  The farmers can get technical services when growing different cultures. Because of high costs on gasoline and other expenditures, the costs for the activities carried out by Ltd. “Mekazatori” – are often very high. Considering the present problems, the presenter suggests that more effective forms of technical services should be offered which will provide service in a lower price and will be more efficient. For this purpose, it is necessary to set up a park of agricultural machines in different regions which will provide local farmers with necessary equipment. Also, it has been stated that there is a deficiency in qualified specialists. At higher education institutions there are limited departments which prepare the specialists in the field of mechanization of agriculture. Moreover, a number of scientific research institutes working on the problem have been closed in the 1970s and 1990s.

The problem of mechanization of agriculture is very urgent and much effort should be applied to make positive steps in this direction. 

On September 26, 2019, the tenth and eleventh grade students of Tbilisi # 52 public school visited the Academy of Agricultural Sciences. They participated in the activities planned within the Festival of “Science and Innovations” held in 2019.  

  The meeting was opened by the Vice President of the Academy Dr. Anatoli Giorgadze.  The members of the Academy, Academician Elguja Shapakidze, the Head of Academic Department and Academician E. Gugushvili welcomed the young guests and talked about the achievements in agrarian sciences, and the challenges the future generation will face in this area.

 Ms. Marina Nijharadze, the director of the school talked about aesthetic education of the young generation and the significance of such meetings. The School Director and Ketevan Nioradze, the teacher of the #52 public school, thanked the Academy for organizing such important meeting.

 The professors of the academy delivered the scientific lectures on the following topics: 

1.“Bio-diversity of Georgian Fauna – Hunting animals.” Presenter: Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Anatoli Giorgadze.

2. “What do we know about mirage?”  Dr. R. Lolishvili

             The lectures delivered by the members of the Academy had a significant effect on the young auditorium; they asked questions and expressed their appreciation towards the presenters.