Research methodology and procedures

The proposed project aims to enable local institutions to improve the livelihood of Georgian potato farmers by implementing a strategy of ISH to improve potato seed quality in the country. Project partners will gain capacity to generate scientific evidence for ISH in the Georgian context, develop a realistic potato seed plan for the country, and develop and implement structures for training seed producers and farmers. ADA-funded FAO programs have helped Georgia to improve seed regulation for wheat; this paves the way for the country’s second most important crop, potato. The proposed project PI has actively involved major stakeholders (i.e., MoA, AgUni, and BOKU University) in the proposal development process as described earlier.  

The project ensures diffusion of outputs through its integration into an existing CIP/Georgia initiative on potato, which has a broader mandate to improve the general productivity and sustainability of the potato sector. Thus, outputs from this this project (e.g., country seed plan, manuals for seed production, pathogen detection and field inspection guidelines, and new varieties with virus resistance) will flow directly into the larger potato initiative.

To define and clarify roles and responsibilities, an inception workshop is planned with stakeholders. Yearly workshops will serve to update stakeholders on progress and refine plans for subsequent years. In addition, a workshop to present the results of the project to the larger potato related community will be held at the end of the project.