FS 3.194: Practical education climate-smart technologies in the foothills of Georgia

Global climate change poses significant challenges for underdeveloped mountain regions, necessitating adaptive approaches where both formal and non-formal education play a crucial role. The Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development at the GTU has successfully implemented such initiatives. For livestock farmers in mountainous areas, producing their own food products is essential, as it impacts production costs, socio-economic conditions, and environmental effectiveness. Research in the Shida Kartli foothills identified irrigation and precipitation as key issues. Spring crops suffer from insufficient precipitation (131 mm), requiring irrigation, which is financially burdensome due to the high costs of sourcing water from the river. In contrast, autumn crops benefit from adequate precipitation (402 mm), making them a more viable option. A local young farmer, with guidance from a faculty professor, tested the yield of autumn crops in the milk-wax phase, achieving exemplary results. These methods are now being adopted by other farmers in mountainous regions. Faculty students with professors are working on climate-smart technology in Horticulture and growing demand for early potatoes is met largely by imported, perishable, and inorganic products. In contrast, local greenhouses can reliably produce organic potatoes as early as April, benefiting from early and medium varieties. The farmer’s use of greenhouses has led to additional income from super-early organic potatoes. Additionally, students started working innovative biotechnological methods, in vitro, to produce early seed potatoes in mountainous areas, sharing their findings with mountain region communities.