Monitoring of fungal disease in Zestafon chestnut
On the initiative of the National Forestry Agency, the testing of the method of biological control against chestnut disease began in the village of Boslev of the Zestafoni municipality in 2021. The process is carried out on the basis of forestry pathological studies, with the involvement of national and international experts, and is one of the most proven methods worldwide.
The study of chestnut bark samples and the laboratory work on breeding hypovirulent strains were carried out in the laboratories of Austria, Switzerland, and Georgia Agrarian University. Hypovirulent strains have been introduced into chestnut groves in pre-prepared test plots. In order to demonstrate effectiveness, a continuous monitoring process is underway in the area.
According to the initial results of the monitoring, the strains on the test sections started to work against the disease-causing fungus. However, it still requires continuous monitoring in order to determine the degree of effectiveness of the fighting method and the need to increase the scale of the measures.
