GAFSI International Outreach Spotlight: Republic of Georgia Integrated Pest Management Program 

(May 16, 2023) -- Fresno State plant science faculty Dr. Jacob Wenger returned to the Republic of Georgia in the middle of the spring semester to share his entomological expertise with government and industry members to to increase the adoption of integrated pest management tactics by growers. 

He focused on a host of topics to help growers better understand IPM strategies, their benefits and their role in international trade. The presentations also emphasized how to practically implement IPM practices to protect crops in a way that is effective, safe and cost efficient.  

The week-long trip, his third trip in recent years, included presentations, video modules and discussions of IPM practices for common Georgian crops such as apples, hazelnuts, citrus, blueberries, and grapes

He also met with representatives from a number of government agencies who are tasked with phytosanitation in the country, including the Georgian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA), the National Food Agency (NFA), the Revenue Service, Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ARDA, essentially Georgia's Extension Agency), Scientific Research Center of Agriculture (SRCA), Agricultural Laboratory of the NFA and the Georgian Agricultural University. 

Wenger's trip was a part of our campus and College Global Agriculture and Food Security Initiative and organized by Dr. Bill Erysian, director of the institute.