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| Author: | L. Lasareishvili |
| Keywords: | Corylus avellana, Corylus pontica, Corylus colchica, filbert |
Abstract:
Georgians are familiar with nut culture, as they have been harvesting nuts since at least the 6th century B.C. Corylus pontica and C. colchica are native to the eastern and southeastern coasts of the Black Sea, and thus Georgia is the center of origin of these species of hazelnut.
All cultivated varieties of hazelnut in Georgia, according to their botanical characteristics, belong to the species C. pontica, and not C. avellana, but there is controversy about this and we will leave it to botanists to decide.
The varieties cultivated in Georgia were created, not by crossbreeding, but by a centuries-long selection process that resulted in varieties adapted to our humid subtropical and dry subtropical zones.
In years past, hazelnut was a major export commodity of Georgian agriculture.
The export volume was 10,000 tons per year of dry, in-shell nuts.
Nowadays, hazelnut is cultivated on 5,000 – 6,000 ha, and plans have been developed to expand this area to 50,000 ha in the near future.
Implementation of this project is quite possible; this is the reason why the American company AGROHOLDINGS Inc. intends to establish a hazelnut orchard on 5,000 ha in the Kholkida lowlands.
At the same time, Dutch and Danish companies are preparing to cultivate orchards of 3,000 and 4,000 ha, respectively.
Other parcels will be planted by local farmers.
On level land, hazelnut orchards are established for intensive culture, and forcing the plants to grow as single-trunk trees is quite difficult.
In order to simplify the process of sucker control, we have worked out a method that prevents development of suckers from the base of the plant.
The means is rather easy, and treated plants perform optimally.
The method is patented.
Countries intending to cultivate hazelnut in Georgia should consult our Institute.
Experts of the Institute will provide assistance in selecting cultivars adapted to the area, transportation of trees for planting the orchard, and pre-plant land preparation.
The Institute does not have a tissue culture laboratory.
If companies are interested in jointly propagating and producing trees, the income from the sale of trees would not only cover the cost of production, but would also generate additional revenue for hiring workers.
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