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7/30/2019 Forgotten Crops

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AGRICULTURAL DIVERSIYYG R I C U LT U R A L D I V E R S IY Y PROGRAMR O G R A M

AGRICULTURAL DIVERSIYYG R I C U LT U R A L D I V E R S I YY PROGRAMR O G R A M


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Revi ewers: Guram Al eksi dze, Inesa Mai sai aEdi tor : M anana Gi gaur iEdi tor ial Board: M ariam Jorj adze, Tamaz Dundua

E n g l is h E d i t in g M a r y E l l e n Chat winTechni cal Edi tor Zaza Ki l asoni a

D es ig n a nd m ak e- up : M an an a G ig au riAuthors of photos: Bi dzi na Peradze, Tamaz Dundua

Publ i cati on i s fi nanced by the Gl obalEnvi ronment Faci l i ty (GEF) through theGeorgi a UNDP country offi ce, the Swi ssDevel opment and Cooperati on Agency(SDC) and the Donor Consorti um: EED,M I S E RE O R f r o m G e r m a n y a n d C o r d ai dfrom the Netherl ands

Georgian biological, geographical and climaticconditions have given rise to a great diversityof plants. This region belongs to one of the

points of cultivated plant origins--that of theWestern Asian point of origin. Here grew someof the first cultivated plants, and is the primaryregion of origin of crops such as barley, hogmillet, flax, common vetch, garden pea, alfalfaand clover. Most important is that Georgia isone of the main genetic centres of origin of both wheat and the grapevine, according toh i s t o r i c a l , a r c h e o l o g i c a l a n d b i o l o g i c a lfindings...

F or go tt en C ro ps . . .

All rights reserved8

Author: Ta y u l B e r i s hv i l i

Published by Biological Farm ing Associat ion ELKANA


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INTRODUCTION 4

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2022

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CONTENTS

CEREALS

G ra ss P ea

Horse Bean

Chicpea

Lentil

Cow Pea

Italian Millet Gruel

Akhaltsikhe Tsiteli Doli

Barley-Naked

Rye

Millet

Wheat Dika

Flax

OLD GEORGIAN CUISINE

LITERATURE

LEGUMES


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At the beginning of our century, along with a host ofother problems, we face the enormous threat toplant and crop biodiversity. Natural ecosystems arebeing intensively destroyed and many species of cultivated or wild plants are being lost, whilethousands of others are on the verge of extinction.The intensification of these processes may lead to acatastrophic destabilization of the biosphere and anabrupt worsening of living conditions for humans.

G e o r gi a n b i o l o g ic a l , g e o g ra p h i c al a n d c l i m a ti cconditions have given rise to a great diversity of plants. This region belongs to one of the points of cultivated plant origins--that of the Western Asianpoint of origin. Here grew some of the first cultivatedplants, and is the primary region of origin of cropssuch as barley, hog millet, flax, common vetch,garden pea, alfalfa and clover. Most important isthat Georgia is one of the main genetic centres of

origin of both wheat and the grapevine, according toh i st o ri c al , a r ch e ol o gi c a l a n d b i o lo g ic a l f i nd i n gs .This genetic diversity of our country has been thebasis for the development--through traditionalselection - o f t h o u sa n d s o f l o ca l a n d d i v e rs e c r o pv a r i et i e s w h ic h a r e w e ll a d a p t ed t o t h e r e g io n ' sn a t u ra l c o n d i ti o n s . Georgians, rightly, are proud of t h i s b i o l o gi c a l h e r i ta g e .

This great diversity of genetic resources, however,

has been under threat for almost one hundredyears, especially due to the agricultural policies of concentration and specialization carried out ina g r i c u l t u r e d u r i n g S o v i e t p e r i o d . M a n ydomesticated plant species were not only forgotten,but in some cases, completely lost. There are stillpossibilities for recovering these plant species, andspecialists today are working with special attentionto these their survival and cultivation.

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INTRODUCTION


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T h e A g ra r i a n D i v e rs i t y P r o te c t i o n P r og r a m me o f E l k a na a d d r e s s e s t h e g o a l o f s u rv i va l f o r l o ca l c u l ti v at e d p l an t v a ri e ti e s t h ro u gh t h ei r r e -i n tr o du c ti o n ,conservation and dissemination to Georgian farms. Since 2004, within theframework of this programme, a project entitled Recovery, Conservation andSustainable Utilization of Biodiversity of Georgia is being implemented in theS a m ts k h e -J a v a k he t i r e g i o n, f i n a nc e d b y Gl o b a l E n v i ro n m e nt F a c i li t y ( G EF )t h r o ug h t h e U N D P C o u n tr y O ff i c e in G e or g i a . S a m ts k h e -J a v a k he t i w a s n 'tchosen accidentally it's a unique region for domesticated plant biodiversity. Acertain success has already been achieved by the Project: in the village of Tsnisithere is demonstration plot where ancient varieties of local cereals and legumes,fruit and vine are being planted and propagated. Seeds and planting material arealso available to farmers. Today about 250 Georgian farmers cultivate cerealsand legumes; 1500 fruit tree saplings have been distributed to interested farmersall over the country; and a women's association was established which cultivatest h e c o w p e a i n p a r t i cu l a r. E l k a n a h a s b e e n s t u dy i n g t h e m a r ke t p o t e n ti a l o f l o c a lvarieties by making them available in some shops in the capital. In Tbilisi theg r a s s p ea , c h i c k pe a , c o w p e a a n d l e n ti l a r e b e i n g s ol d , a n d a w i d e r p ub l i c a r ebeing familiarized with dishes cooked from these crops at tasting events.

This brochure has been prepared within the framework of the crop re-introductionprogram, and covers such forgotten crops as grains Dika wheat, Doli, Barleynaked barley, rye, hog millet; legumes grass pea, chickpea, horse bean, lentil,c o w p ea a n d a n i n d u s t r i a l f i b e r c r op - flax. It reviews their history and distributionin Georgia, their biological peculiarities, uses and potential production capacity.The brochure aims to provide assistance to specialists working in this sector aswell as to inform all those who are interested in the biodiversity of our country.

Guram AlexidzePh.D. of Biological Sciences, Professor,

Vice-President and Academician of the Academy of Agrarian Sciences

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Family: PoaceaeGenus: TriticumSpecies: Tri ti cum carthl i cum Nevsky

Scientific classification

D i k a w he a t w a s f ir s t d e s c ri b e d b y t h e R u s si a nsci enti st N. Vavi l ov i n 1918. He observed vari ousw h e a t s pe c i e s o n an O x f o r d ex p e r im e n t a l p l o t .

Among experi mental sampl es there was a speci esof wheat suppl i ed by a German seed company,named Persi schen wei sen, i .e. Persi an wheat.Experi ments showed that thi s wheat, unl i ke other

speci es ( Triticum aestivum L.), d i dn ' t f al l p r ey t omi l dew. The sci enti sts concl uded that i t wasn't asoft wheat and accordi ng to mi staken i nformati onfrom the suppl i er i t was named Tri ti cum persi cumVav. Several years l ater, i n 1921, the great Russi anb o t a n i s t P . Z h u k o v s k y d i s c o v e r e d a w i d edi stri buti on of thi s wheat i n Georgi a. It was Di kawheat. S. Nevsky corrected N. Vavi l ov's mi stake,descri bed Di ka wheat accordi ng to i ts pl ace of ori gi n and named i t Trit icum cart hlicum Nevsky.Now Di ka wheat i s known under thi s name.

History

Di ka wheat i s endemi c to Georgi a from where i ts p r e a d t o n e i g h b or i n g c o u n t ri e s A r m e n ia , T u r k eya n d t h e D a g e s t a n r e g i o n o f t h e R u s s i a nFederati on, but there we meet Di ka onl y i n mi xed

c u l t iv a t i o n. D i k a i s i n c l ud e d i n t h e R e d B o o k o f Georgi a.

Distribution in Georgia

Di ka's spi ke l ooks very much l i ke the spi ke of wheat; adi sti ncti ve feature i s the exi sti ng of beard-l i ke appendi ces onthe husk of a spi kel et, the l ength of whi ch towards the spi ke'stop i s up to 5-7 cm. By thi s feature we can di fferenti ate i t fromsoft wheat. The exi stence of these beard-l i ke appendi ces onthe husk of the spi kel et i s al so characteri sti c of hi gh mountai ntypes of wi l d soft wheat, but the spi kel ets of the l atter are

rel ati vel y short. Addi ti onal l y, Di ka wheat has a much smal l er grai n than other wheats.

D i k a i s a h i g h - m o un t a i n s u m m er w h e a t . T h e v e r t ic a l r a n g e o f i t s d i s t r ib u t i o n i s b e t w e en 1 0 0 0 - 2 00 0 m e t e r s a b o v e s e a l e ve l .However, at hei ghts up to 2500m above sea l evel i t can be

found i n smal l quanti ti es. In val l eys, as a summer wheat, i t i snot found l ower than 650m. At these l ower l evel s i t i sc u l t iv a t e d a s a n a u t u mn c r o p . D i k a i n G e or g i a g r e w i n t h eMai n Caucasus mountai nous regi ons, Tri al eti and Javakheti -Tsalka.

In former centuri es i n Georgi a Di ka was sown al one as wel l asm i x e d w it h h i g h - mo u n t a in s p e c i es o f s o f t w h e a t. I n p u r es o w i ng s D i k a h as t h r e e m a i n f o r ms w h i t e , r e d a nd b l a c k .The red-spi ke vari ety was the most commonl y found, whi l e

the bl ack and whi te forms were rel ati vel y rare.

Among bi ol ogi cal pecul i ari ti es Di ka's frost resi stance i s veryi m p o r ta n t , a s e a r l y f a l l o f t e m p e r a t ur e s o f t e n o c c u r i n h i g hmountai ns. Di ka can be harvested even at very l owt e m p e r at u r e s . A n o t h e r s i g n i fi c a n t f e a t u r e i s t h e Di k aresi stance to pl ant pests and di seases; i t shoul d be especi al l ym e n t i on e d t h at t h i s wh e a t v er y r a r e l y co n t r a c ts f u n g u sdi seases. The crop capacity of Di ka wheat ranges between2.0-2.5 t/ha i n l ower regi ons whi l e i n hi gh-mountai n

condi ti ons i ts yi el d exceeds that of l ocal soft wheat.

B i o l o gi c a l P e c ul i a r i ti e s ,U s es a n d Yi e ld

C E R E A L S

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Tr i ti cu m c a r thl i c um NevskyWheat Dikaheat Dika


7/48

Wheat Dika on Tsnisi demonstration plot

Present Status

At present Di ka i s bei ng sown onl y i nSamtskhe-Javakheti , i n the vi l l age of Tsni si , wi thi n El kana demonstrati on pl otand four farmers' pl ots to whom the seedm a t er i al w a s su p pl i ed b y t he E l ka n a

Associ ati on.

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Triticum aestivum L. var . ferrugineum

Archeol ogi cal studi es suggest the anci ent ori gi n of softwheat; i t was di scovered on the Isl and of Crete anddated as ori gi nati ng ci rca 6100 BC. Soft wheatd i s c o v e r e d d u r i n g a r c h e o l o g i c a l s t u d i e s o n t h eterri tori es of nei ghbori ng countri es, Turkey and Iraq, are

dated from 5500-5000 B.C. Much evi dence exi sts tosuggest that the domesti cati on of soft wheat took pl aceover a vast terri tory, i ncl udi ng Western Asi a, the Near and Mi ddl e East. Georgi a i s i ncl uded i n thi s terri tory. Atpresent soft wheat i s spread everywhere begi nni ngfrom the North Pol ar ci rcl e to southern conti nents of

Afri ca and South Ameri ca. It i s cul ti vated from sea l evelto 4000 m above sea l evel (Peru).

Family: PoaceaeGenus: TriticumSpecies: Tri ti cum aesti vum L.

Georgi a used to be known for i ts di verse and numerousvari eti es of soft wheat. The best known foods deri vedf r o m t h is w h e at a r e D ol i b r e a d s K a r t l ia n Te t r i D o l i b r e a d( w hi t e d o li b r ea d f r o m t h e e a st e rn Ka r t li r e gi o n) ,K a k h e ti a n Te t r i D o l i b r e a d ( w h i te b r e a d f r o m K a k h et i a nr e g i o n) , Ko r b o u li D o l i b r e a d , A k h a lt s i k h e ( M e s k hi a n )Ts it el i D ol i b re ad , Ti an et i D ol i b re ad . D ol i b re ad s a rei ncl uded i n the Red Book of Georgi a whi ch l i stsendangered speci es.

T h e s e t yp e s o f w he a t w e r e we l l a d a p t ed t o l o c alc o n d i ti o n s an d t h u s a c q u ir e d m a ny u s e f u l b i o l og i c a la n d e c o n o m i c q u a l it i e s l o c a ll y. U n f o r t u n a t e ly, m o s thave become rare or have al most di sappeared, for exampl e the Akhal tsi khe Tsi tel i Dol i .

Akhal tsi khe Tsi tel i Dol i i s a soft wheat of the Shuamtaforest zone (1250-1350 above sea l evel ); i t i sc h a r a ct e r i s ed b y i t s r e l a t i ve l y t a l l s t e m ( 1 0 0 - 1 2 0 c m )and red spi ke. The l ength of the spi ke vari es between6.5 and 12.5 cm. The grai n i s red, wi th a prol ongedo v a l f o r m a n d h o r n l ik e s h a p e . A k h a l ts i k h e Ts i t e l i D o l i i sa frost-hardy, drought-resi stant vari ety wi th averageyi el d (2.5-3.2 tonnes per hectare), characteri sed by i tsresi stance to pests and di seases. Bread baked wi th i tsfl our i s very tasty and nutri ti ous.

At present Tsi tel i Dol i i s cul ti vated i n the vi l l age ofTsni si i n the Samtskhe-Javakheti regi on, i n the El kanaorgani zati on's demonstrati on pl ot, and by 26 farmersl i v i ng i n t h e n e ar b y Ad i g e n i r e g i o n an d b y t h r e ef a rm er s i n th e Ka rt li a nd K ak he ti r eg io ns , wh orecei ved seeds from El kana.

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Akhaltsikhe (Meskhetian ) Tsiteli Dolikhaltsikhe (Meskhetian) Tsiteli Doli


History


B i o l og i c a l P e c ul i a r i ti e s ,U s es a n d Yi e ld

C E R E A L S

Present Status


9/48

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Ts i t el i D o l i on Tsnisi demonstration plot


10/48

Dol i grai ns can be sown anywhere duri ng the second hal f of August tothe fi rst hal f of October. In mountai nous areas thi s wheat i s sown earl i er due to the shorter growi ng season, and i n order for the grai n to meet thewi nter wi th devel oped roots. Grai ns sown too late can't devel op, areweak and have a l ower yi el d, are easi l y overcome by smut. In l owp l a c es d o l i g r a i ns m a y b e s o w n l at e r a s w e l l.

D o l i g r a i n s ar e w e l l a d a p t ed t o h e a v y, p o o r s o i ls , a n d d e ve l o p w e ll i nboth i rri gated and non-i rri gated fi el ds. It i s true that i n i rri gated l ands theyi el d i s hi gher, but the harvest may fal l . Addi ti onal ly taste and baki ngqual i ty are l ower, so thi s is why the dol i grai ns are not usual l y sown i ni rri gated l ands.

D o l i g r a i n i s c ha r a c t er i s e d b y i n t e n si v e b r a nc h i n e ss , a r e s i s t an c e t ofal l i ng and di seases. Due to these qual i ti es i ts yi el d very often exceedsthe hi gh yi el d vari eti es, especi al l y i n the Kvemo Kartl i regi on.

Dol i grai n i s characteri sed by a good baki ng qual i ty. At kneadi ng, them a s s i n c r ea s e s , t h e d o u gh b e c o m e s s t r in g y t h o u g h m a ss i v e a n dnutri ti ous. It makes a very tasty, sweet-scented and fresh-tasti ngb r e a d . I t s f l o u r i s a l s o g o o d f o r u s i n g i n m a k i ng t r a d i t i o na l d i s h es s u c has tatara and churchkhel a (Georgi an sweets made from fl our, grape

j ui ce and wal nuts), as i t makes these products very soft. Formerl yG e o r gi a n s u se d d o li g r a i ns f o r b a k in g s o c al l e d M a k h o bl i a n i b r e a d .Makhobel i (Cephal ari a cyri aca) i s a wi l d pl ant, whi ch, together wi tho t he r w ee d s, g r ew i n t he f i el d s a m on g t he d o li g r a in c r op s . A f te r harvesti ng, the wheat and makhobel i grai ns were mi l l ed together.

F a r m e rs u s e d t o l e a v e t h e m a k h o b e l i s e e d s i n t e n ti o n a ll y i n t h e w h e a tmass. The bread baked from such fl our has a di sti ncti ve taste, i s a bi tb l ue t i ng e d, a n d m a in t a in s i ts f r e sh n es s f o r up t o a we e k, acharacteri sti c whi ch was very i mportant for farm fami l i es who coul d notbake bread every day. Makhobel i adds these qual i ti es due to fatty aci dsa n d a b l u e p i g m e nt i n i t s s e e d s . C h e m i c al a n a l ys e s o f m a k h o b e lig r a i ns s h o w t h e y c o n ta i n c h e mi c a l s u b s t an c e s i m po r t a n t f o r h um a nheal th, and some speci es of thi s wi ld genus, found i n Georgi a, for exampl e Cephal ari a, contai n curati ve substances. Indeed, bread wi thmakhobel i has been consi dered to possess curati ve qual i ti es.

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C E R E A L S

S o m e ch a r a c te r i s t ic f e a t u re s o f t h e Do l i g r a i ns


11/48

m a xo b el i x o rb l is y a na S i. wn i si s sa c de l -s a de m on s tr a c io n a kv e Ti

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H o rd e um v u lg a re var. nudum

T h e h i s t or y o f b a r l e y a s h u m an f o o d g o e s b a c k t oa n c i en t t i m e s . So m e a u t h or s ( P e r ci v a l J . 1 9 3 6 )t r a c e i t s o r i gi n s t o t h e 1 5 t h t o 1 0 t h c e n t u r ie s B C ,a n d a c c o r di n g t o ot h e r a r c h e ol o g i ca l s t u d i es t h epresence of barl ey i s dated from the 8th to 7thcenturi es BC. The Sumeri an ci vi l i zati on wasfami l i ar wi th barl ey crops and i n Egypt i ts presencei s f o u n d i n t h e l at e r p h a r a on i c d y n a s ti e s . B a r le ywas i ntroduced from the Mi ddl e East i nto Europethrough Greece and spead to the terri tori es of I n d i a, C h i n a , K o r e a a n d J a p an . To d a y b a r l ey i scul ti vated al l around the world.

Family: PoaceaeGenus: HordeumSpecies: Hordeum vul gare L

B a r l e y w a s w i d e l y g r o w n i n G e o r g i a , a n d

characteri zed by a di versi ty of vari eti esup to 14.Today a mul ti -row autumn vari ety Dzvel tesl a sti l ls u r vi v es , a s we l l a s t he t w o- r ow s p r in g b ar l eyvari ety Akhal tesl a. As for the naked barl ey, i twas sown onl y mi xed i n other vari eti es, but al mostal ways i n a mi xture of sown barl ey. Sowi ng thi svari ety al one i s l i ttl e known, though a case wasn o t e d of t w o - r ow n a k e d ba r l e y i n 1 9 86 i n t hem o u n t a in o u s T u sh e t i a r e a , i n t he v il l a g e o f E p ts o kh i ( n ea r C h er o ) . L a t er th i s v a ri e ty wa s

c u l t i va t e d b y s e v e r al f a r m e r s.

B a r l ey i s s l i g h tl y d e m a n d in g o f w a r m t h . T h e p e d ic l e i sr e s i st a n t t o l o w f r o s t , b u t i s v u l n er a b l e t o l o ng - l a s t in g f r o s t

at temperatures of mi nus 12 to 14^C a nd to sh ar p

vari ati ons i n temperature. The opti mal growth temperaturei s 1 5 -1 7^C. It i s drought-resi stant. Barl ey i s l ong-day plantand demands qui te good soi l ferti l i ty. It does not l ive i n dry,s o u r, s a n dy, p e a t y o r s a lt y s o il . N e ut r a l s o i l ( pH 6 -7 ) i sopti mal .

N a k e d b a r l e y ( H o r d e u m v u l g a r e v a r . n u d u m ) i sc h a r a ct e r i z e d b y a t a l l s t e m ( 9 0 - 1 00 c m ) , 1 0 - 1 2 c m - l o n gwhi te spi kes, l ong (10-12 cm) bears and thi ck cream-c o l o r ed g r a i n s . G r ai n s a r e c h a r a ct e r i z ed b y t h e i r h i g h

protei n content, are bare and may be used as a di etaryc e r e a l. L i k e o t h e r b ar l e y v a r ie t i e s , n a ke d b a r l ey i s a g o o df o r a g e c r o p , c h ar a c t e r iz e d b y a h i g h y i e l d ( 2 . 0 - 4. 0 t / h a )a n d e a r l y h a r v e st .

At present naked barl ey i s sown onl y i n the Samtskhe-Javakheti regi on i n the vi l l age of Tsni si , demonstrati on pl ot

of El kana and on the l ands of two farmers who recei ved theseeds from El kana.

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Barley/Nakeda rl e y/Na ke dC E R E A L S


History



Present Status


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13Barley on Tsnisi demonstration plot


14/48

14

Rye on Tsnisi demonstration plot


15/48

Secale cereale ( L. ) M . B ie b

R y e i s a co m p a r at i v e l y n e w c r o p , a s i t w a s n otc u l t i va t e d s y s te m a t i ca l l y a s e a r ly a s r e l a t edgrasses such as wheat and barl ey. Accordi ngto archeol ogi cal studi es the presence of rye onthe current terri tory of Turkey has been datedat 1800-1500 BC. Rye spread from thi sterri otory to Western Europe and further East -reachi ng Chi na. Recentl y areas sown wi th ryes h a r p ly d e c r e as e d a l l a r o u n d t he w o r l d. A tpresent, cul ti vated l ands sown wi th rye are i nei ghth posi ti on i n the worl d after wheat , ri ce,barl ey, mai ze, oats, hog mi l l et and sorghum.

Family: PoaceaeGenus: Secal eSpecies: Secal e cereal e (L. ) M . Bieb

The Caucasus i s consi dered as one of thep o i n t s o f o r i g i n o f r y e , i n c l u d i n gG e o r gi a , w h e r e s e v er a l w i l d r y e s p e ci e s a r efound. The cul ti vati on of rye is sti l l practi ced i na f e w a r e a s in t h e m o u nt a i n o us r e g i on s o f Svaneti and Khevsureti . The crop was knowni n the southern area of the country, Samtske-Javakheti , from anci ent ti mes. Fol l owi ngwheat and barl ey, rye as a crop pl ant was often

grown by the l ocal popul ati ons.

R y e i s w e l l a d a p t ed t o h i g h la n d c o n d i t io n s , i s f r o s t - h a r dy,d r o u g ht - r e s i st a n t a n d g r o ws i n a l l k i n d s o f s o il . I n g e n e r a l i t i sl i ttl e exi gent of the natural condi ti ons.

Rye has di verse uses. Rye bread i s nutri ti ous and aromati c,whi ch resul ts from sweet-scented protei ns. The grai ns andvegetati ve mass of the rye are good forage for ani mal s. Rye i sa good predecessor i n crop rotati on, as i t suppresses andc l e a rs t h e s o il o f w e ed s .

R y e i s l e s s v u ln e r a b le t o f u n g o u s d is e a s e s, b u t o n e o f i t sp a r a s it i c f u n g i - e r g o t (C l a v ic e p s p ur p u r e a) , c a n s om e t i m e sdamage rye crops. If the mycotoxi ns of thi s fungus are mi l l edwi th the rye grai ns, bread baked from such fl our i s dangerous

f o r h u m a n o r a n i m a l c o n s u m p t i o n , a s t h e b i o a c t i v ecompounds produced by ergot i ncl ude al kal oi ds that causee r g o t i s m : s e v e r e n e r v o u s d i s o r d e r s h a l l u c i n a t i o n s ,

convul si ons and even death. Ergot extract was, however usedi n tradi ti onal medi ci ne for i ts curati ve qual i ti es.

At present, rye i s not general l y bei ng grown i n Georgi a.Georgi an bakeri es, where rye bread i s baked, are suppl i edwi th i mported rye fl our. Rye cul ti vati on can onl y be found i nSamtskhe-Javakheti i n the vi l lage Tsni si i n demostrati on pl ot of El kana and i s cul ti vated by approxi matel y si x farmers whoewere provi ded wi th seeds by El kana.

15

RyeyeScientific classification

History



C E R E A L S

Present Status


16/48

Panicum miliaceum L.

Mi l l et i s one of the most anci ent crops i n thea g r i c ul t u r a l w o r l d. I t s p r e s en c e i n C hi n aa n d t h e C a u c a su s d a t e t o 7 0 0 0 y e a rs a g o .Mi l l et ori gi nated i ndependentl y from eachother at the same ti me i n both regi ons; fromthese terri tori es i t spread around the worl d.

Family: PoaceaeGenus: Pani cumSpecies: Pani cum mi l i aceum L.

Mi l l et was a wi del y di sti buted anci ent crop i nGeorgi a. At present the dark grey col or grai n vari ety i s sown, and onl y i n ZemoSvaneti . It i s an earl y (70-80 days) crop andh a s t h e t i m e t o r i p e n e v en i n m o u n t a in o u s

regi ons. Val l ey forms of mi l l et are exti nct atpresent. These vari eti es bel ong to thebranched and i ncl i ned pani cl e forms; thegrai n i s thi n onl y 2-3 mm.

Mi l l et i s a thermophi l i c crop, and the pedi cl e i s very sensi ti ve to l ow

temperatures (-2-3^C ) ; t he g e ne r a ti v e or g an s m ay e v en b e

damaged by 2^C frost. Yet mi l l et i s frost resi stant, and adapts to

hi gh temperatures better than other pl ants. It i s l ess demandi ng of good soi l condi ti ons, and i s al so resistant to pests and di seases.

Mi l l et grai ns contai n 12,8% protei n, 3,5% fat, 80-81% starch,0,15% sugars, as wel l as cal ci um, potassi um, magnesi um, i odi ne,tal i c aci d and fl uori ne. The quanti ty of B vi tami ns i n mi l l et i s twi ce ashi gh as i n other si mi lar crops.

Mi l l et i s sown mai nl y for food purposes. Grouts are made from i t,whi ch are easi l y boi l ed and have hi gh nutri ti ous val ue. Mi l l ed mi l l et

i s u s e d f o r b a k in g m c h a di ( a G e o r g ia n t y p e o f b r e a d ) , a nd i nH i g h er S v a n et i i t i s u s e d fo r m a k in g k h ac h a p u ri p e t v r a . Af t e r consumi ng mi l l et products, peopl e report feel i ng i ncreases of energy and warmth.

Mi l l et grai n does not contai n protei ns (gl uten and gl i adi n), that arepresent in wheat. Si nce 0.5-1% of the popul ati on are al lergi c tothese substances, mi l l et cake can be a substi tute for wheat bread,whi ch i s i mportant for gl uten-al l ergi c peopl e.

Mi l l et i s characteri sed by i ts hi gh yi el d i n average of 1.4 t/ha.Though someti mes i t i s possi bl e to i ncrease i t to 2.5-4.0 t/ha. Itsi ncl usi on i n crop rotati on gi ves the opportuni ty to have twoharvests.

Today mi l l et i s bei ng cul ti vated i n the Samtskhe-Javakheti regi on i nTsni si vi l l age, i n El kana demonstrati on pl ot and i n three farmers'f i e l ds i n t h e K v e mo K a r t l i r e g i o n, t o w h o m t h e s ee d m a t e r ia l w a s

suppl i ed by El kana.

16

MilletilletC E R E A L S


History


B i o l o gi c a l P e c u li a r i ti e s ,U se s a n d Yi e ld

Present Status


17/48

17

Millet on Tsnisi demonstration plot


18/48

Setaria italica (L) Beaur

Ital i an mi l l et i s an anci ent crop pl ant that grew wi del y from from Japan toP o r t u ga l . C h i na i s c o n s id e r e d t o b e o n e o f t h e c e n te r s o f i t s o r i g in , y e t i tp o s s es s e s a h i g h b ot a n i ca l d i v e rs i t y. R e s e a r ch e s c o n f ir m e d t h a t o n evari ety of Setari a i tal i ca consi sts of two sub-speci es ssp. maxi ma al ef.and ssp. col chi ca mai s. et Gorgi d. The l atter i s the vari ety of Ital i an mi l l et

whi ch i s found i n Georgi a.

Family: PoaceaeGenus: Setari aSpecies: Setari a i tal i ca (L) Beaur

Ital i an mi l l et has been present i n Georgi a for a l ong ti me. Before thei n t r o du c t i o n o f m a i z e a n d e s p e c ia l l y i t s u s e f o r h u m a n c o n s u m p ti o n ,Ital i an mi l l et was the mai n bread product for the popul ati on of WesternGeorgi a. Duri ng the 1940s Ital i an mi l let was sti l l sown i n Georgi a, but at

present i t i s al most compl etel y repl aced by mai ze. Some reasons are thea d v e r se a g r i c u lt u r a l p o l i ci e s o f t h e e p o c h b u t a l s o t h e r e l a t iv e l y g r e at e r di ffi cul ti es to sow and grow mi l l et, compared to corn/mai ze.

18

Italian Millet Grueltalian Millet GruelC E R E A L S


History


Italian Millet on Tsnisi demonstration plot


19/48

Ital i an mi l let grai ns are very thi n 2 mm i n di ameter. Pl anti ngand growi ng mi l l et i s qui te l abour-i ntensi ve, as Ital i an mi l l etdevel ops very sl owl y at fi rst, thus i t i s necessary to controlweeds. When i t reaches 10-15 cm i n hei ght mi l l et control s

w e e d s i t s e lf . I t a l i an m il l e t g r o w s a l m o s t o n al l k i n d s o f s oi l , i sfrost-hardywhi ch i s an advantage duri ng gl obal cl i mate change- and duri ng heavy drought i t pauses i ts own vegetati onprocess and becomes 'dormant' unti l after rai ns, when i t agai nb e g i ns t o f l o u r i s h . .

Ital i an mi l l et grai ns have thi n husks, whi ch are easi l y removedi f t h e g r a in i s w e l l d r i e d. F o r m e r ly, a l m o s t e ve r y f a r m e r u s eds p e c ia l h a n d - , f o ot - o r w a t e r - op e r a t ed t o o l s t o r e m o v e h us k s .However, due to the reducti on i n mi l l et producti on, today these

tool s are not found anymore and farmers fi nd i t di ffi cul t to buythem.

I t a l i an m i l le t h a s an e x c e ll e n t ch e m i c al c o m p o si t i o n -- i tcontai ns protei ns 12-21% - most of whi ch are al bumi ns, or ami no aci ds wi th ful l val ue protei n. It i s ri ch i n B1 B2, C, E, PPand A vi tami ns, maki ng i t hi ghly nutri ti ous, yet i t i s a di eteti cproduct l ow i n starches though i s a hi gh-energy food.

The husks and stems of Ital i an mi l l et are excel l ent l i vestock

forage, whi l e the grai ns are good for bi rds and poul try. Ital i anmi l l et stems are al so used for maki ng roofs. In crop rotati onItal i an mi l l et i s an i deal predecessor for other crops as i t cl earsthe l and of weeds. In opti mal condi ti ons i t has a hi gh yi el d 2-7t/ha.

Today Ital i an mi l l et i s found i n Western Georgi a's Guri a regi on

where seven El kana member farmers grow thi s crop


Present Status

19


20/48

Lathyrus sativus L.

The grass pea ori gi nated most l i kel y the Medi terranean area(coarse-grai ned) and Asi a Mi nor (fi ne-grai ned). A wi l d form of thi s crop i s not known, however i t was very popul ar among theanci ent Greeks and Romans.

Family: FabaceaeSub- Family: FaboideaeGenus: LathyrusSpecies: Lathyrus sati vus L.

The fact that Georgi a nei ghbors the terri tori es of ori gi n of thegrass pea, both hi stori cal l y and cul tural l y, suggests that thi sp l a n t w a s i n t r o du c e d t o G e o r gi a l o ng a g o . T h e g r as s p e a w asc u l t iv a t e d in m a n y r e g i o ns o f t h e co u n t r y, e s p e ci a l ly i n t henorthwestern mountai nous regi on of Racha. Thi s regi on has anoutstandi ng di versi ty of grass pea vari eti es. In the 1930s there

were about 30 vari eti es of grass pea, out of whi ch j ust onevari ety i s cl assi fi ed as coarse-grai ned and the others as fi ne-g r a i ne d . T h e g r a ss p e a i s a n e n d a n ge r e d s p e c ie s i n G e o r g ia ,and coul d be found onl y i n Racha, but in smal l quanti ti es.

Y20

Grass Pearass PeaL E G U M E SE G U M E S


History



21/48

T h e b i o lo g i c al f e a t u r es o f t h e g r a s s p e a m a k e i t p o s si b l e t og r o w t h i s c u l t ur e i n h i g h la n d r e g i on s , w h e r e e v en o t h e r b e a n s r ip e n v e r y la t e . T he g r a s s p e a r e q ui r e s w a rmtemperatures and at the same ti me i t i s frost resi stant: i t

resi sts temperatures down to -11^C . T he g r a ss p e a i s a l s o ad r o u g ht - e n d ur i n g p la n t a n d i s n o t d e m an d i n g a s f a r a s s o i l

condi ti ons go. It i s resi stant to pl ant pests and di seases.

T h e g r a s s p e a g r ai n c o n t a i ns 3 1 . 6 % p r o t ei n s a n d 2 . 7 % f a t .T h e s e f ig u r e s s h ow t h a t n u t r it i o n a ll y i t p r e v a il s o v e r o t h er cereal crops except for soy. Some wel l -known tradi ti onaldi shes can be cooked from the grass pea. The popul ar 'l obi ani ' (bean-fi l l ed) pi es i n Racha were ori gi nall y madewi th the grass pea, whi ch made i t more nouri shi ng than thepi es of today that are made of beans. Popul ati ons i n Rachausual l y add wheat fl our to grass pea fl our to rai se i ts bi ndi ngquality.

Grass pea hay i s the best food for cattl e; mi xed wi th barl eya n d o a t s t h i s p r o du c e s a h i g h - c al o r i e f o r ag e . G r a s s p e apl ants are al so i s used as green manure. The crops areharvested when ful l y ri pe. The yi el d i s 2.0 4.0 t/ha.

Today the grass pea i s al so cul ti vated i n the Samtskhe-D j a v ak h e t i r e g i on , Ts n i s i v i l la g e , o n E l k a n a d e m o n s t r at i v ep l ot as we l l a s b y s e ve n te e n f a r me r s i n S a mt s kh e -Dj avakheti , Kakheti (two) and Kvemo Kartl i (si x) regi ons.

21


Present Status

Grass Pea on Tsnisi demonstration plot


22/48

22

Cicer arietinum L.

Family: FabaceaeSub- Family: FaboideaeGenus: Ci cerSpecies: Ci cer ari eti num L

Archaeol ogi cal data from excavati ons of4th century BC si tes, carri ed out i nP a l e st i n e , s h ow t h a t t h e c h i ck p e a i s i n d e e dan anci ent cul ture, di stri buted throughoutthe Near East, Western Asi a and theMedi terranean. Later i t appeared i n Indi a.T h e ch i ck p e a is s t il l f o u nd i n t he s ecountri es.

The chi ckpea has been popul ar i n Georgi a si nce anci ent ti mes,cul ti vated i n both west and east Georgi a, though today i t i s grownmai nl y i n the eastern Georgi a regi on of Kvemo Kartl i . For i nstance, i n the 1920s 24 vari eti es of chi ckpea were found i nRacha (L.Dekaprel evi ch, 1929), of whi ch ei ght were edi bl e

vari eti es (whi te-grai ned).

Thi s shows that chi ckpea geneti c resources are di verse, yet thenames of some vari eti es are l ost. Onl y the whi te chi ckpea, the redchi ckpea and the gogra chi ckpea are known. The chi ckpea i sconsi dered an endangered crop pl ant i n Georgi a and i s l i sted i nthe Red Book.

C h i c kp e a i s a d r o u g h t- r e s i st a n c e c r o p a nd a t t h e s a m e t i m esurvi ves l ower temperatures , thus i t can be cul ti vated even i nautumn i n regi ons where the wi nter i s mi l d It grows wel l i n bl acke a r t h z o n es a n d l i g h t s a nd y s o i l .

C h i c kp e a i s a v e r y n ou r i s h in g a n d u se f u l c r o p . I t s g r a in s c o n t ai n25% protei ns and 4.5% fat. They al so contai n cal ci um and

compl ex carbohydrates, whi ch i s i mportant for peopl e wi thd i a b et e s . I t i s a g o o d p r e d e ce s s o r f o r a l l f i e l d c r op s i n c r o protati on. Chi ckpea i s sown 5-7 cm deep i n wi de rows (45cm, 80-1 0 0 kg / h a ) . C h i c kp e a yi e l d s a r e 1. 5 2 . 0 t /h a ; i ts p o ds r i p e nsi mul taneousl y, thus i t i s harvested i n the phase of ful l ri peni ng,and the ti mi ng i s i mportant, si nce i t i s di ffi cul t to boi l overri pegrai ns for food.

Y

ChicpeahicpeaScientific classification

History



L E G U M E SE G U M E S


23/48

To d a y t h e c h i ck p e a i s c u l t i va t e d i n t h e E l k an ademonstrati on pl ot i n the vi l l age of Tsni si ,S a m t s kh e - D ja v a k h et i a n d b y so m e l o c al f a r m e r sIt i s al so grown by some farmers i n Kakheti (three)and Kvemo Kartl i (el even) wi th seeds suppli ed by

El kana.

23

Chicpea on Tsnisi demonstration plot

Present Status


24/48

24

Horse bean contai ns si gni fi cant amounts of protei ns.That i s why i t i s added to wheat fl our to rai se thenutri ti ous qual i ti es of the l atter, whi ch i s i mportantduri ng the fasti ng peri od. The horse bean, however,al so contai ns substances whi ch cause a di sorder c a l l ed f a v i sm a m o n g c e r t a in l o c al M e d i t er r a n e anpopul ati ons. Favi sm can resul t i n severe anaemi a and

j aundi ce from eati ng the raw beans. Horse bean al soc o n t a i n s L - d o p a ( d o p a m i n e ) u s e d f o r c u r i n gP a r k i ns o n ' s d i s e as e , a n d r e g u l a t e s b l o o d p r e s su r e .Horse bean i s consi dered a 'natural ' al ternati ve for Vi agra.

The horse bean i s used for human consumpti on, andas a forage crop; the coarse-grai ned one i s edi bl e andthe fi ne-grai ned i s used as forage. However, i n Upper Svaneti a and other regi ons, fi ne-grai ned vari eti es are

grown for human consumpti on. Horse bean i s a goodgreen manure. Its yi el d i s 2.0-3.0 t/ha.

Vicia faba L.

Archaeol ogi cal studi es conducted i n the Medi terraneancountri es, Europe (Ital y, Spai n, Greece), Afri ca (Egypt)show that the horse bean was popul ar i n the Neol i thi cand Bronze Ages.

Family: FabaceaeSub- Family: FaboideaeGenus: ViciaSpecies: Vicia f aba L.

The horse bean has been popul ar i n Georgi a si nceanci ent ti mes, and was cul ti vated i n both west and eastGeorgi a. It was a very i mportant crop because i t wasused as a food product duri ng the rel i gi ous Fast peri od.Both fi ne-grai ned and coarse-grai ned vari eti es weresown i n hi ghl and and l owl and regi ons of the country. Thefi ne-grai ned horse bean grown i n Upper Svaneti a i s al o c a l v a r i e ty.

The horse bean's vegetati on i s hygrophi l ous and i t growsw e l l o n f er t i l e s o i l . I t l ik e s c o o l t e m p e ra t u r e s , a n d i nhi ghl and areas i t i s usual l y pl anted i n spri ng, whi l e i n thel owl and regi ons of western Georgi a i t i s sown i n autumn.

Horse Beanorse Bean

Y


History





25/48

Today the horse bean i s sti l l cul ti vated i n hi ghl anda r e a s o f w e s t Ge o r g i a ( S v a n et i a ) a nd i n s m al lquanti ti es i n l owl and regi ons (Samegrel o andGuri a). Wi th the assi stance of El kana the horseb e a n , i s c u lt i v a t e d in Ts n i s i v i l l ag e , S a m t s kh e -

Dj avakheti , i n demonstrati on pl ot and by some l ocalf a r m e r s. I t i s al s o g ro w n b y f a r m e r s i n K ak h e t i ( o n e )and Kvemo Kartl i (12), by seeds from El kana.

25

P r es e nt S t at u s

H o rs e B e an a on Tsnisi demonstration plot


26/48

26

Lentil on Tsnisi demonstration plot


27/48

Lenti l s are pl anted i n Apri l , 3-4 cm deep, wi th a di stancebetween the rows of 15-17 cm. Its pedi cl es are weak andsensi ti ve to weeds, thus the l and must be weed-free.

L e n t i ls c a n b e p r o t e c te d f r o m s o m e s e e d d i se a s e s b ycrop rotati on. M a n y p a r a s it i c , f u n g a l a n d v i r a l d i s e a se sare threats to l enti l s. Different pests are harmful to Lenti l .

Lenti l grai ns contai n 22-35% protei ns, and a comparabl yl ow amount of ami no aci ds, methi oni ne and cysti ne. Inspi te of thi s, i t i s consi dered a nouri shi ng cul ture both asedi bl e by humans and as ani mal forage.

Lenti l yi el d i s 1.8-2.0 t/ha. It shoul d be harvested whenthe l ower pods are yel l ow, usi ng a grai n harvester combi ne. When the moi sture i n l enti l grai ns total s 14%, i ti s kept as seeds.

L e ns c u li n ar i s Medic.

T h e l e n ti l i s a b u s h y a nn u a l p l a n t t h at w a s c u l t iv a t e d8500 years ago i n the Near East. It was consi dered amedi ci nal pl ant; Roman physi ci ans bel ieved that theregul ar use of l enti l had a sedati ve effect.

Family: FabaceaeSub- Family: Faboi deaeGenus: LensSpecies: Lens culinaris Medi c.

The l enti l i s menti oned i n the Georgi an transl ati on of the Ol d Testament (Genesi s) but unfortunatel y i tstopped bei ng cul ti vated i n Georgi a.

T h e l e nt i l a d ap t s t o s e mi d ry an d c o ol c l im a t es .E x t r e m e h e at a n d t o o m u c h r a i n f a l l r e d u c e i t s y i el d .The pedi cl e i s resi stant to spri ng frost and i t devel opsvery wel l i n sub-aci d soi l s (pH 7).

It i s advi sabl e to treat the grai ns before sowi ng wi th ab a c t e r i c i d e ( R i s o b i u m s p e c i e s t o a v o i d t h edevel opment of bacteri a on the seeds and at the sameti me to suppl y the pl ant wi th ni trogen.

Today l enti l s are cul ti vated i n Samtskhe-Dj avakheti i n theTsni si vi l l age, i n El kana demonstrati on pl ot and by somel o c a l f a r m e r s (3 6 ) . T h ey a r e a l s o g r o w n b y f a rm e r s i nK a k h et i ( o n e ) a nd K v e m o Ka r t l i ( s i x ) . T h e f a r me r s h a v e

been suppl i ed wi th the seeds by El kana Associ ati on.

Y 27

LentilentilScientific classification

History


B i o l o gi c a l P e c ul i a r i ti e s ,

U se s a n d Yi e ld


Present Status


28/48

It i s pl anted i n rows (wi th a di stance between the rowsof 50-60 cm and between seeds 15-20cm). After s o wi n g, t he so i l i s p o un d ed f or be t t er so i l n u tr i en tcontact.

The cowpea, l i ke other l egumes, i s i n symbi oti cr e l a t io n s w i t h r i so b i u m ba c t e r ia t h u s i t s h ou l d b et r e a t e d w it h b a c t e r i a o f t h e r i s o bi u m c l a s s . A h i g hn i t r o ge n c on t e n t i n t he s o il i s r e q u i re d . W e e d c o n t r oli s al so necessary for appropri ate devel opment, thuss o i l h a r r o wi n g s h o u ld b e c o n d u c t e d a t l e a s t t w i ce ayear.

S e ve r al f u ng a l d i se a se s a n d pe s ts o f c o wp e a a reknown though they are not hi ghl y common i n Georgi a.T h e s ee d w e ev i l i s t h e m o s t h a rm f u l p e s t i n t h e a r e a sof cowpeas grown i n Georgi a.

The cowpea contai ns a very hi gh l evel of protei n: 25%whi ch makes i t an excel l ent food source where meat i sscarce; fat content i s 2%; carbohydrates 63% andfi ber i s 6%. It i s rich i n vi tami ns and ami no aci ds,i ncl udi ng l ysi ne and tryptophane.

D r y c ow p e a g r a i n s a s w e ll a s o t he r p l an t p a r t s l i k el eaves and pods are used for food. Cowpea i s usedal so as a l i vestock food. Thi s crop i s harvested duri ngdi fferent phases of maturi ty as green pods or as dry

grai ns. Cowpea yi el d equal s to1.5-2.0 t/ha.

Vigna unguiculata L.Walp.

The cowpea i s a southern crop whi ch ori gi nated i nSouth Afri ca and i s popul ar i n tropi cal semi -ari d zoneso f As i a , A f r i c a, s o u t h E ur o p e , C en t r a l a n d S o u th

Ameri ca.

Family: FabaceaeSub- Family: FaboideaeGenus: Vigna Species: Vigna unguiculat a L.Wal p.

There i s scanty i nformati on i n Georgi a about thehi story of cowpea, but accordi ng to L. Dekaprel evi ch,the cowpea was known i n Georgi a i n anci ent ti mes,but he does not speci fy a source on whi ch the data arebased. Cowpea i s menti oned i n some wri tten sourcesfrom the 17th century. Today the cowpea i s cul ti vatedi n t h e K a k h e ti a n d I m e r e t i r e g i o n s i n s m a l l q u a n t it i e s .

The cowpea i s a thermophi li ac and requi res qui te hi ght e m p e r at u r e s . I t d e v e lo p s w e l l b o t h i n i r r i ga t e d a n dnon-i rri gated soi l s, and compared to other beans i t i smore drought-resi stant.

Cowpea wel l devel ops i n any qual i ty of soi l , especi al l y

i n s a n d y a n d w e ll d r a i n ed s o i l w i t h pH 5 , 5 - 6 , 5. ) .

28

Cow Peao w Pe aScientific classification

History


B i o l og i c a l P e c ul i a r i ti e s ,U se s a n d Yi e l d

Y



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To d a y c o w p ea s a re c ul t i v a te d in t h eS a m t s kh e - D j av a k h e t i v i l la g e o f Ts n i s i o nEl kana demonstrati on pl ot; the crop i sa l s o g r ow n b y 2 5 l o ca l f a r m e r s, a s w e l l a sby farmers i n Kakheti (6) and Kvemo Kartl i

( 3 ) wh o w er e s u pp l i ed w i th s e ed s b yEl kana.

29

Cow Pea on Tsnisi demonstration plot

Present Status


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Linum usitatissimum L.

Fl ax i s an anci ent crop ori gi nati ng i n the Mi ddl e East i nthe so-cal l ed Tri angl e of Ferti l i ty, whi ch stretchesbetween Mesopotami a, Egypt and the Levant. Fl ax hasl ong been cul ti vated i n these regi ons.

ojaxi: Li naceaegvari: Li numsaxeoba: Li num usi tati ssi mum L.

Fl ax has been known i n Georgi a si nce anci ent ti mesa n d w a s d i s t r ib u t e d f r o m e a s t t o w e s t : F l a x v a r i e ti e swere used for produci ng fi ber and for oi l , namel y theCol chi an fl ax (used for fi ber) i n West Georgi a, and oi l -beari ng form i n East Georgi a.

Col chi an fl ax and texti l e fabri cs made of thi s pl ant competed with Egypti anl i nen i n anci ent ti mes. That was why Herodotus consi dered Egypti ans andCol chi an peopl e consangui neous. Col chi an fl ax was i ntensi vel y cul ti vatedi n West Georgi a unti l the mi d 19th c. However, the devel opment of factori esi n Europe and the i ntensi ve producti on of cotton caused a reducti on of demand for l i nen cl oth. Col chi an fl ax cl oth, an oi l -beari ng fl ax spread i n thehi ghl ands of East and South Georgi a turned out to be rel ati vel y resi stant toe r a d i ca t i o n u n t i l t h e 2 0t h c e nt u r y. T h is i n d us t r y w a s m os t p o pu l a r inS a m t s k he - D j av a k h et i w h e r e t h e r e w e r e l o t s o f o i l - m i l ls . I n t e r e s t i ng l y, t h ewi de di ssemi nati on of sunfl ower crops negati vel y i mpacted the cul ti vati ono f o i l - b e ar i n g v a r i et i e s o f f l a x . T h e r e l at i v e ly c h e a p er t e c h n o l o gi c a lprocesses of growi ng and processi ng cotton and sunfl ower caused thedemi se of fl ax from the market despi te the hi gher qual i ty of i ts products.

30

FlaxlaxTECHNICAL CROPS


History


F l ax o n Ts ni s i d em on st r at i on p l ot


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F la x c an g ro w t hr ou gh ou t Ge or gi a, a s i t i s a d a pt a bl e t o an y F la x s e ed s a s w e ll a s t h ei r o il c on ta in s u bs ta nc es t h a tnatural condi ti ons. If fl ax i s sown earl y, i t better absorbs have been used for the preventi on and cure of manymoi sture and grows wel l . Ferti l e soi l i s more i mportant for di seases: cancer, cardi ovascul ar system, ki dney,t h e v a ri e ty u se d fo r f ib e r, b ec a us e th i s s o il m a ke s i t gr o w t h ro a t , s ki n , d ig e st i ve d i s ea s es e t c . T h e l in e n f a br i cshi gher produci ng, l onger fi bers. made of fl ax are of hi gh qual i ty and rugged. The stems

of thi s cul ture (ti mber, short fi ber) i s used for produci ngIn crop rotati on fl ax i s a good predecessor for wheat, acetone, aceti c aci d, ethyl al cohol and ni trocel l ul ose.p o t a t o a nd b e e t , b u t p e r en n i a l l e g u m es , wheat and root Therefore, fl ax i s economi cal l y profi tabl e as l i ttl e of thecrops are the predecessors of fl ax. pl ant i s wasted.Fl ax seeds are not pl anted deep i n the soi l , so the upper For fi ber producti on fl ax shal l be harvested when thel ayers of the soi l shoul d be l oosened, and pl owed 20-22 pl ant i s sti l l green, and for grai n producti on when 80-c m d e e p . I n s p r i ng , i t i s n e c e s sa r y t o h a r r o w a n d c u l t iv a t e 9 0 % o f t h e p o d s a r e y e l l ow - b r o wn . F l a x i s k e p t f o r the soi l before sowi ng. For fi ber producti on, fl ax shoul d be seeds when the moi sture content equal s 11%. Its yi el dsown i n narrow rows (7-5 cm); and the oi l-beari ng fl ax i n i s 4.0-4.5 t/ha, and the seed yi el d i s 1.0-2.2 t/ha.w i d e r o ws ( 2 5 - 3 5 c m ) . N ec e s s a ry a m o u n t o f s e e ds f o r fi ber crop i s 36-40 kg/ha and for oi l -beari ng one 10-12kg/ha. Land pl ots must be wel l -weeded and care taken

even after sowi ng: i t i s necessary to mel low the soi l . Fl ax i soften parasi ti zed by 'dodder', or Cuscuta, whi ch must beeradi cated and burned.

31

B i o l o gi c a l F e a tu r e s,U s es a n d Yi e ld

F l ax o n Ts ni s i d em on st r at i on p l ot

To d a y f l a x i s b e i n g c u l t iv a t e d i n S a m t s kh e - D j av a k h et i i nthe Tsi ni vi l l age i n El kana demonstrati on pl ot and by threel o c a l f a r m e r s wh o h a v e b e en s u p p l ie d w i t h t h e se e d s b ythe El kana Associ ati on.

Present Status


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1 . B r e g a d z e N . , W h e a t . G e o r g i a n h i s t o r i c a l c on ge ne rs . Ko lo s . L en in gr ad , 1 96 4

e t h n og r a p hi c a l a t l a s , Me t s n i er e b a p u b li s h i n g 1 6 . C u l t ur a l f l o r a o f S o v i et U n i o n, W h e a t.house, Tbilisi, 1980. Leningrad, Kolos. 1979

2 . K e ts k h ov e l i N . , Z o n es o f c u l tu r a l p l a nt s i n 1 7 . L a pi n M . M. P l an t c u l ti v at i on . Se l kh o zi z d .Georgia. Georgian Academy of Science, Tbilisi, Moscow. 19511957 1 8 . M e n a b de V. L . , Wh e a t i n G e or g i a , A c a d em y o f

3 . K ob ak hi d ze A ., V ig na S av i c ul tu ra l f or ms i n S ci e nc e o f G eo rg i a, T bi l is i, 1 94 8Georgia. Tbilisi, Institute of Botanic. Thesis, vol. 19. Wheat in the World, Leningrad, Kolos, 1976.XXII, Tbil isi, 1962 20. C layton G., Cambell., Grass pea Lathyrus

4 . M ai sa ia I. Go mi c ul tu re in Ge or gi a, gam-ba s a t i v u s L . K o d e R e s e a r c h L t d . M o r d e n ,

Metsniereba publishing house, Tbilisi, 1987 Manitoba, Canada R 6 MI E9, 19975 . M a is a ia I ., M il l et c ul t ur e in G eo r gi a . p u b l i sh i n g 2 1 . I n d e x s e m i nu m I P K . G a t e ns l e b e n, 1 9 9 62 2 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / l at h y r us _ s a t iv u shouse Kirbi, Tbilisi, 19982 3 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / l en s _ c u li n a r is6 . M a is a ia I . S h an s hi a sh v il i T. , Ru s iS v il i N . , A g ra r ia n2 4 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / c ic e r _ o ri e t i nu mculture of Kolkheti,. Metsniereba publishing2 5 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / v ic i a _ fa b ahouse, Tbilisi, 20052 6 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / v ig n a _ u ng u i c u la t a

7 . M a is a ia I. Sh a ns h ia s hv i li T. , G j in d ji k ha d ze T. ,2 7 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / F fl a x

G u l b a ni A . , G eo r g i an c u l t u ra l b a r l ey a n d i t s u s e i n 2 8 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / h or d e u m_ v u l ga r efolk medicine and household use. Science and 2 9 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / f ox t a i l_ m i ll e tTechnologies, Tbilisi, # 7-9. 2007 3 0 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / p ro s o _ mi l l e t

3 1 . h t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / s ec a l e _ ce r e a le8 . M e n a b de V. G e o r gi a n b a r l e ys . M e t sn i e r e ba 3 2 . H t t p :/ / e n .w i k i p ed i a . or g / w ik i / w he a t _ to x o n om ypublishing house, Tbilisi 1938

9. M o l o d i n i l . , L i n e n . G e o r g i a n h i s t o r i c a le t h n o gr a p h ic a l a t l a s, M e t sn i e r e ba p u b l i sh i n ghouse, Tbilisi, 1985

10. Red Book of Geor gia.. Tbilisi, 198611 . D j av a kh i s hv i li I . , Ec o no m ic h i s to r y o f G eo r gi a .

Vol.5 Tbilisi, 19861 2 . D j a l a ba r i G . , f i el d c r o p c ul t i v a ti o n i n E a st G e o r gi a .

field crop cultivation in Samtskhe Djavakhetipublish. house. Metsniereba publishing house,Tbilisi 1986

1 3 . D j a p a r i d z e A . , P l an t c u l t i v a t i o n . G a n a t l e b a publishing house, Tbilisi, 1975

14. Dekaprelevich L.L., MEnabde V.L. Field crop inWest Georgia, Racha. (Scient. Eng. Departm.)Tbilisi, 1929

1 5. Z h u k o v s k i P. M . , C u l t u r a l p l a n t s a n d th e i r

32

Literature:iterature:


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You can surprise no one in Georgia with itsdiversity of dishes, but what did our ancestorseat? Such a question often comes to mind.Gi v e n t h a t th e m a j or p a rt o f o u r d a i l y m e n uconsists of dishes cooked from importedc ro p s , i t w o u ld b e i n te re s t in g t o k no w w h a tdishes were common in ancient times. Today

m a n y l o c a l p l a n t v a rie t i e s w h ic h p ro v i d e d t h ebasis of ancient recipes are threatening todisappear and the recipes would then beforgotten. In the following section we proposes o m e o f t h e b a si c a n ci e n t tra d i t i on f o o d s o f Georgia, which today would not likely figure ina modern cookbook.

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Wheath e a tK o r ko t i ( W he a t G r u el )250 g wheat groats20 g sugar or honey15 g oil20 g walnuts

Toast wheat grains slightly in a frying pan. Pour the toasted grains into boilingw a t e r a n d c o o k f o r a b o u t 2 - 2 . 5 h o u r s, u n t i l t h e y h a v e b e c o m e s o ft . W h e n t h e y

a r e w e l l s w o l l e n, r e m o v e f r o m t he w a t e r , a d d o i l , p l a ce o n a p l a t t e r , s e a s o n w i thsugar powder or honey, and sprinkle cut walnuts on top.

K o r ko t i w i th S u lt a n a250 g wheat groats15 g sultana raisins

25 g sugar or honey

B o i l w h e a t g ro a t s as p e r r ec i p eabove and drain; add sugar or honey. The honey should bee n o u g h to m a k e t h e g r u el s w e e t .Pour sultanas that were soaked insweet water over the groats.

Select wheat, toast the grains in a frying pan,then grind and sift them, leaving the finer 'flour' aside. Transfer the ground wheat to ac a s s e ro l e a n d p o u r w a te r e n o u g h t o b o il t h ew h e a t w e ll . W h e n i t i s h a l f d o n e , st i r i n t h esifted 'flour' that was removed, and cookt o ge t he r u n t i l w e ll d o n e. T h e r e af t er s e a s o nwith the salt, transfer to a platter, and pour on

o i l o r m e lt e d b ut t er .

K ha li pa pa ( Th in W he at G r ue l)

34


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T a k e 5 0 0 g o f s o f te n e d w h e a t g r a i n s a n dw a s h t h r ee t i m e s w i th c l e a r w a t er ; b o i l w e l land salt. Season the mass with 100 g of prunes and pour over half liter of water.When the mass has absorbed the water,pour over 1,8 liter of almond milk. Whenserving, sprinkle on some sugar powder.

Wheat Porridge with Prunesand Almond Milk

B o i l t h e w he a t i n w a t e r u n t i l i t h a s r e d u c e d w e l l , t h e npour the washed and selected sultanas over the

m i x t ur e a n d c o o k u n t i l t h e w a t e r h a s e v ap o r a t e d. T h e nt r a n sf e r t h e m i x t ur e t o a p l a t t e r o r b o w l a n d m i x w i t hhoney (or sugar) and the ground or finely choppedwalnuts.

Kolio-Tsandili (Wheat Gruel)

200 g whole grain durum wheat40 g sultanas40 g sugar or honey40 g walnut

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Wheath e a t


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G r o u n d a n d s i ft t h e m i l l e t , t h en k n e a d i t b y h a n d i n w a t e r a s h o t a spossible. Add some salt and 10 g of leaven (if the leaven isu n a v a i l ab l e , ta k e 6 7 g o f ba k e r ' s d o u g h a n d s o l v e it i n 2 0 m l o f warm water, pour over it some flour and put in a warm place for hour). Add the wheat flour and bake when the dough has been

leavened enough.

M il le t C ak e (Chvishdari)o r Lu kv ne

K n e a d d o u gh a s f o r k h a c h ap u r i ( c h e e se c a k e ) ,flatten it, add the cheese-knead millet flour,and bake like khachapuri.

M il le t C ak e

200 g millet flour 60 g wheat flour Leavening (yeast)

Some salt

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Milleti l l e t


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Ghomisghomi

( It a li an M il le t G r ue l)200 g Italian millet groats6 0 m l w at e r

Sort out any defective millet groats,

t h e n w a sh t h e r e s t s e v e r al t i m e s ,pour warm water over the groats,and place this in a casserole on aheat source. When the mass boils,remove the foam and floatingsediment. Knead this mixture with around stick (suta), cover the pot,a n d b o i l i t d o w n a g a i n . W h e n t he

water has been absorbed and theg r a i n s a r e w e l l d o n e , kn e a d t heg r u e l a g a i n w i th t h e s u t a, a n d s e r veit on plates with a wet woodenspatula.

Elarji of Ghomi (Italian

M il le t G r ue l w it h C he es e)G h o m i g r a i n s 3 0 0 g r .Cheese 200 g

37

Select and wash millet grains severaltimes, add water 1.5 times more than

d r y vo l u me . B oi l l i k e a g ho m i p o rr i dg e .After stirring, cover the pot and steamf o r a bo u t 2 0 mi n u t e s o n l o w h e a t .Then add white cheese (not too fresh)o r f r e sh s u l g u n i. S t i r w el l t o o b t a in ahomogenous mass and leave on theheat for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I ta li an Mi ll ett a l i a n M i l l e t


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Sort the peas, wash and put them in a pot with just enough water to cover the

peas. Bring the peas to a boil, then add two sliced onions. When these are wellcooked, add the ground walnuts, one more finely chopped onion and coriander.S e a s o n w i th p e p p e r a n d s a l t , b r i ng t o a b o i l a n d p u t a s i d e . T h e m i xt u r e s h o u ldbe neither very thin nor very thick. If you prefer it sour, add tkhemali (wild plums a u c e ) or t k l a p i ( s o u r fr u i t l e a th e r ) a n d co o k a g a i n; a d d w a t er a s n e e d e d .

G r as s P e a M ea l250 g grass pea25 g walnuts3 cloves onion40 g chopped coriander, salt and pepper

38

Grass Pear a s s P e a

H B


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Sort and wash fava or horse beans and put them into ac a s s e ro l e w i t h e n o ug h w a t e r t o c o ve r , b u t d o n o t b o il i tdown, so that the beans are neither overcooked nor undercooked. Strain the beans and transfer the bakla to aplatter. Cover them with chopped onion and season themto taste, with salt and oil.

H or s e Be an B ak la

39

Horse Beano r s e B e a n

Chickpea


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Soak chickpeas in warm water for about six hours,then put in a casserole, cover in water and boil. Addwater as needed during the cooking, then test thepeas by hand to see when they are soft. When done,remove the stock and keep in a separate pot. Pour int h e o i l a n d s l i c e d o ni o n t o t h e c o o ke d c h i c k p ea s , a n dr o a s t w e l l , s ti r r i n g . I f n e ed e d a d d a n o t h e r 5 0 m l o f o i l ,t h e n p o u r t he s t o c k o v e r t h e m i xt u r e , a dd t h e g r o u n drice and up to four boiled and finely sliced potatoes.When the mixture is brought to a boil, season it withthe ground pepper, by leaves, saffron and choppedcoriander, with salt to taste

Chickpea Soup200 g chickpeas5 onions1 00 ml o il5 grains black pepper 4 potatoes6-7 gr ground rice3 bay leaves40 gr chopped

coriander1 g saffron

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Chickpeah i c k p e a

Chickpea


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Sort and soak chickpeas in warm water for a night. The second day,r e p l a ce t h e w a t e r a n d c o o k t h e c h i c kp e a s u n t i l t e n d e r . Th e n r i n s ea n d m a sh t h e p ea s b y h an d . S l i c e th r e e o n io n s a n d c o o k t h e m i noil. When the onions are tender, add them to the peas and cook,

seasoning with salt.

Chickpea Mukashari250g chickpeas or horse beans25 g ground walnuts2 onionscorianderSalt to taste

Sort out chickpeas and ground them in ah a n d m o r t a r. B o i l t h e m a n d a d d t w ocves of sliced onion. When its has boileddown, add 25 g of ground walnuts, andseason with the salt; chop 2 bunches of coriander and sprinkle over the mixture.Replenish water as necessary, butwithout making it too thin.

Chickpea Sisiri (Gruel)250 g chickpea5 0 m l o il

3 onionsSalt to taste

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Chickpeah i c k p e a

Lentil


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L e nt i l w it h D ri e d A p ri c o ts250 g lentils50 g dried apricots1-2 bulbs onion25 g walnuts40-50 g butter

W a s h l e n t i l s a n d p o u r 5 0 0 m l o f c ol d w a te r o v er t h e m

t h e n bo i l f o r 1 t o 1 h o u r s . M e a n t i me f r y t h e fi n e l yc h o p p e d o n io n a n d d r i e d a p r i c o ts ( p r e l i mi n a r i l y s o ak e d i nwarm water for 15 minutes) in butter; add salt andpepper. Add these to the lentils, then add groundw a l n u ts a n d b o i l t h e m a s s f or 1 0 t o 1 5 m i n u t es . R e m o v eit from the fire and garnish with green coriander beforeserving.

L e nt i l w i th B u tt e r / To m at o P as t e / On i on s

250 g lentils40-50 g butter or fat2 onions

40-50 g tomato paste150 g sour creme

W a s h l e n ti l s a n d p o u r 4 0 0 m l o f c o l d w a te r o v e r them, letting them soak 3 to 4 hours; then replacewater and put on to boil. Add the salt before thew a t e r b o i ls . T h e l e n ti l s a r e r e a d y w h en t h e g r a i n ssoften. Rinse the lentils, season with butter andc o o k . L e nt i l w i t h o n i o ns : o n i o n s a re r o a s t e d a n da d d e d . L e nt i l w i t h t o m at o : t h e t o ma t o p a s t e i sb r o u g h t t o a b o i l w i t h e n o u g h w a t e r . L e n t i l w i t hs o u r cr e me a n d o n io n s i s a s o rt o f t h e di s h : th etoasted onions are seasoned with the sour cremea n d a l l i s b r ou g h t to a b oi l . .

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Lentile n t i l

Lentile n t i l


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Lentil Soup

W a s h l e n t il s t h o r o u g hl y u n d e r r u n n in g w a t e r a n d b o i lfor half an hour; add the oil, half a carrot diced, thediced celery,onion, herbs and salt to taste. After 10 to15 minutes of boiling, add a tomato. In the remainingoil, toast the finely chopped onion, add flour, and stir continuously, adding the thinned tomato paste and the

red pepper paste. The prepared mass is poured intothe stock and boiled again for 10 minutes. Befores e r v i n g, s e a s o n w i t h t h e f i ne l y c h o p p e d p a rs l e y a n dthe vinegar to taste.

200 g lentil6 0 7 0 m l o il1 large onion1 carrot1 root celery1 tomato10 15 g flour

Red pepper paste ajika

Lentil Meal

250 g lentil1 onion2 cloves of garlicCoriander, parsley, dill

Wash lentils thoroughly under running water, pour into cold water (250 gl e n t i l s i n to 7 5 0 m l w a t e r ) a n d b o i l. W h e n b o i l e d , s e as o n w i t h o n i o n ,garlic, coriander, parsley, dill, salt and pepper to taste. Thereafter themixture is boiled again for ten minutes.

Lentil Simple Meal

Soak lentils in water for 36 hours,boil, and season with toastedonion, mustard, garlic, and salt.

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L

Lentil


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L en ti ls To as t e dwith Smoked Meat

250 g lentils150 g meat2 onions10-15 g tomato pasteCoriander, parsley, bay leaf

S o r t a n d w a sh l e n ti l s t h e n po u r o ve r t h em 4 0 0 m l o f cold water and leave them to stand. After about 3 to

4 hours rinse the contents. Scald the meat (e.g. beef b r i s k et ) w i t h b o i l i n g w a te r , t h e n s l i c e a n d c o o k i n o i lw i t h t h e f i n e ly s l i c e d o n i o n . T he n p u t t h e c o n t e n ts i na c a s s e r ol e , p o u r i n 2 0 0 m l o f w a t e r o r s to c k , a d d t h et o m a to p a s t e , s a l t , p ep p e r , b a y l e a f t h e n l e a v e t ocook in a covered casserole for about 30 minutes.When done, transfer to a serving dish and garnishw i t h c h o p pe d g r e e n s s u c h a s c o r i a nd e r a n d p a r s l e y.

L en ti l wi th Re d W ine250 g lentil3/4 litre red wine3/4 litre meat stock100 g lean pork2 big onions250 g potatoes1-2 carrots1/2 bay leaf

1 00 m l c re a m

Sort out lentil, wash, pour over it red wine and let soak for a night. The next day, cutpork in cubes (preferably bacon), roast on a frying pan, add sliced onion, and toastto make it brown. Pour the stock over the soaked lentil, add to it onion, pork, laurelleaf, and boil over moderate heat for an hour. Then add the potatoes and carrots cutin cubes; when the meal is done, season it with a little sugar, enough salt, pepper,

a n d c r e a m, b r i n g to a b o i l a n d t h e n se r v e

44

Lentile n t i l

Lentile n t i l


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L e nt i l M e al , O t he r

250 g lentils2 big onions125 g meat2 0 0 g g r e e ns ( s u c h a s p a r s l ey ,coriander, etc)3 eggs400 g sausage

Vinegar, sugar to taste

Soak lentils for 12 hours. Chop onions, pork, and greens fine. Toss in oil, add thegreens, and stir continuously; add the lentils with the water in which it was soaked,the pepper, and basil; cover the casserole and boil on a gentle heat (60 minutes).Prepare dumplings: sift 2 cups flour and mix with the eggs, adding 2-3 g of salt andt h e s a me q u a n t i ty o f m i n er a l w a t e r . Po u n d t h e do u g h u n t il a i r b u b b le s a p p e a r an dthe mass becomes as thick as sour cream. Make small pieces of the dumplings

and boil in salted water. When lentils are done, season with salt, vinegar and sugar t o t a s te , a d d t he b o i l e d d u mp l i n g s a nd m i x w e l l t o g e t he r . T h e me a l c a n b e a l socooked with onions, carrots, parsley roots or chopped bacon, to be added withtomato paste and bay leaf.

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Cow peao w p e a


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C ow p ea Me al

250 g cowpeas1 onion1/4 sprig cut coriander

Plant savory, salt and pepper to taste

B o il c o w pe a s un t il t h ey b e co m e so f t.Add to them the onion toasted invegetable oil. Season with salt,pepper, dry savory, and freshcoriander. The seasoned dish musthave a little water.

250 g cowpeas1 onion1/4 sprig of cut coriander 100 g walnuts1 clove garlicSpices, salt and vinegar to taste

B o i l d o w n c o w pe a s . A dd t o t h e m th eonion tossed and cooked in vegetableoil. Season with salt, coriander, garlic,kidney beans' dressing, vinegar, andwalnuts; pomegranate juice can beused instead of vinegar.

C ow p ea Di sh250 g cowpeas1 onion1/4 sprig cut coriander 1/4 clove garlicSpices, salt and pepper to taste

B o i l d o w n c o w pe a s . A d d to t h e m t h e on i o n ,cooked in vegetable oil. Season with salt,g a r l i c , k id n e y b e a n s ' o r s a t si v i d r e s s in g , a n dpepper.

Co w peas f or Patt y S tuf f ing

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MILLET

WHEAT DIKA

G RA SS P EA

H OR S E B E AN

CHICKPEA

LENTIL C OW P EA

FLAX

ITALIAN MILLET GRUELP a n ic u m m i l ia c e um L. Setaria italica (L) Beaur Lathyrus sativus L

V i ci a f a ba L. Lens culinaris Medic. Vigna unguiculata L.Walp.

L i n um u s i ta t i s si m u m L

Cicer arietinmu L

Triticum carthlicum NevskyAKHALTSIKHE TSITELI DOLI

Triticum aestivum L. var . ferrugineumBARLEY -NAKED Rye

Hordeum vulgare var. nudum Secale cereale (L.) M. Bieb

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Forgotten Crops