UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A collaboration between scientists from Penn State and the country of Georgia is enhancing research and extension ties while helping the former Soviet republic to protect crops essential to its economic well-being.
Nikoloz Meskhi from the country of Georgia arrived March 16 to begin his 12-week stay at Penn State as a Borlaug Fellow sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program is aimed at promoting food security and economic growth by providing training and collaborative research opportunities to fellows from developing and middle-income countries.
Meskhi, head of the Plant Protection Department at the National Food Agency in Georgia, joins Penn State as part of the program’s goal to provide a one-on-one mentorship opportunity for scientists, researchers or policymakers in the early or middle stages of their careers. Working closely with Greg Krawczyk, an extension tree-fruit entomologist and research professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences, Meskhi participates in daily agricultural research and extension activities, including work on the brown marmorated stink bug.
An invasive insect from Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug has caused significant economic damage to crops in the U.S., Europe and South America, with its infestation in the mid-Atlantic region peaking between 2010 and 2015, resulting in harm to fruit, vegetable, corn and soybean yields.
In 2016, the country of Georgia faced an agricultural crisis as the brown marmorated stink bug attacked hazelnut orchards, the country’s most important agricultural commodity, and corn, a significant source of food for people and animals.
To combat this challenge, Georgian officials, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, reached out to U.S.-based specialists, including Krawczyk, for recommendations and solutions. Working with Italian and Swiss researchers, Krawczyk developed a plan to manage the stink bug problem in Georgia.
“I’ve traveled to Georgia about 10 times to help their hazelnut farmers deal with the brown marmorated stink bug, as well as other pest issues,” Krawczyk said. “The Georgian government developed plans and methods to combat these pests, and my role was to provide recommendations and help evaluate and improve their efforts.”
Meskhi added: “In 2016, the brown marmorated stink bug caused around $68 million in hazelnut damage, which had a huge impact on our economy. With the help of Dr. Greg (Krawczyk), we have implemented best practices, and now we have excellent results.”
He noted that at the moment, Georgian farmers are satisfied with their ability to manage and monitor this pest using effective pesticides and eco-friendly biorational methods. Recently, Meskhi and his team visited neighboring Azerbaijan to share their knowledge and experiences in managing the brown marmorated stink bug after a severe infestation occurred in the country last year.
“It is wonderful to see the positive results from this long-standing collaboration continue to grow in scope and also start to spread to new communities in the region,” said Ty Butler, program manager in the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Ag Sciences Global.
Krawczyk and Meskhi’s collaboration dates back many years. Meskhi’s first visit to Penn State was in 2017, facilitated by Ag Sciences Global.
Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, Georgia has needed support and knowledge-sharing from international experts, Meskhi observed. “Dr. Greg is the best example of this,” he said.
At Krawczyk’s lab at Penn State’s Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, Meskhi participates in various research programs aimed at managing different pests. He spends time in both the laboratory and the field, attending extension meetings where Penn State entomologists and plant pathologists discuss their work and receive feedback from growers.