Intermediate monitoring of chestnut groves in Zestaphoni
In Zestaponi municipality, in the village of Boslev, chestnut groves are undergoing intermediate monitoring of the fungal disease combat measures results.
After the appearance of chestnut disease in the last century, in Georgia, the National Forestry Agency last year, for the first time, implemented comprehensive and consistent scientific and forestry measures to use biological methods against the disease.
To implement a program of restoration of diseased chestnut forest ecosystems in the Imereti region, the Agency, with the involvement of an international expert, Dr. Irina Matsiak, has launched chestnut grove restoration measures through biological control of the fungal disease. Beneficial microorganisms were introduced into the Boslev forest of the Zestaponi forest area (43 ha), where, after sanitary cutting, the experimental areas were allocated. Strains were applied to up to 200 diseased chestnut trees.
The biological control method will help to heal the diseased chestnut groves, which was also confirmed by the results of intermediate monitoring.
Chestnut fungal disease has been a problem for years in Georgia as well as in European countries such as France, Belgium, and Italy.
