JAVAKHETURA 

Javakhetura is especially interesting among the white grapevine varieties distributed in Adjara as an early and, at the same time, high quality table grape. 100 years old high vineyards of Javakhetura are distributed around the villages Chao and Furtio (Khulo district). 

Written accounts about the distribution of Javakhetura in Adjara are not available. As it seems from the name, it seems to have been brought from Javakheti; However, it should be noted that there was no developed viticulture in Javakheti in the past, and nor is there presently. This area is situated in a high mountainous zone of Georgia where the lack of warmth is a negative factor for the development of viticulture. It is possible that this variety was transmitted from Meskheti in Javakheti and then brought to Adjara by some interested person. This idea is proved by the similarity of the Tskhenisdzudzu distributed in Meskhei to the Javakhetura of Adjara, in the following ampelographic characteristics: the structure of leaves; the type of flowers; the structure of bunches, the berry coloring, shape and size, as well as its use as a quality table grape. 

According to oral narratives, before the spread of fungal diseases and phylloxera, Javakhetura was widely cultivated as high formations in the districts of upper Adjara and cared for by pruning 3 or 4 times a year. Even with such primitive care, the vines could maintain strong growth and development and high productivity during suitable weather conditions. 

The production of Javakhetura was used as a table grape, sometimes for making family wine (in Shuakhevi – Furtio zone). Through the influence of fungal diseases and phylloxera, high vineyards of Javakhetura have been destroyed and only several vines remain in central and upper Adjara, in villages wherein their development and productivity depends on the weather. Javakhetura, planted as grafts, can be found in the collections of the villages Kedi (Kedi district) and Dighomi (the suburb of Tbilisi), while it can also be found as a canopy in the village of upper Fartskha. In these places, the development and productivity of vines is quite satisfying. 

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 

Javakhetura was described in the village of Chao (Khulo district) where the vines are 100 years old and are presented with their own roots, growing freely as high formations. For comparison, it was also described in the collective vineyard of Kedi and in the village of Upper Fartskhma (Chokhatauri district) 

The young shoot. During the break of buds, young shoots are bright green-yellowish with reddish margins. The cone of growth is reddish and covered with thick grayish down; the following first young leaf is greenish-gray on the topside, slightly reddish and covered with grayish-white down on both sides. The second and third leaves are coated with down; the coating becoming less and non-existent on the following leaves. 

The young shoot (12 - 15cm long) is round and bright green, on one side having a reddish coloring and light coating of grayish hairy down, the coating is more expressed across the tip. 

The sprout. The mature sprout is quite thick and is bright brown; the axils are colored with a darker coloring and distanced by 7 - 12cm. 

The leaf. The developed leaf is middle-sized and roundish or slightly oval; and is slightly lobed but strongly lobed leaves can also be found. The average length of the leaf is 17.7cm and the width 17.5cm. 

The incision of the petiole is narrow like an arch and has parallel sides or is elliptical. Acute-angled incisions can also be found which resemble a lyre in shape. Leaf margins consist of three veins. 

The upper incisions are slightly cut or have quite acute angles while wide-elliptical closed incisions can also be found. The lower incision is slightly cut; the leaf is three-lobed, the margin of the tip creating an obtuse angle to the blade. The teeth of margin tips are triangular, rounded or having sharp tips, saw-like teeth can also be found and the secondary teeth are the same; triangular or rounded, with sharp saw teeth. 

The underside of the leaf is insignificantly coated, its topside is smooth or wrinkled like a net, the surface of the leaf is flat, but can be also curled, like a funnel. The major veins of the leaf are lightly downy and are bright green. 

The proportion of the petiole of the major vein is 0.8 - 0.9, is bare and bright green, while to the basis becoming violet. 

The flower. The flower is hermaphroditic; usually having normally developed stamens and pistil or can sometimes include abnormal stamens. There are 5 stamens; rarely 4 or 6 in a flower, in an inflorescence there are 350 - 400 flowers. 

The bunch. The pedicel of a large bunch is 4 - 5 cm long, while the bunch is 15 -20cm long and 8 - 11cm wide. There are 80 - 180 berries on a bunch. The pedicel of middle-sized bunches is 4 - 5cm long. The length of bunches varies from 13 to 15cm, while the width is 6.5 - 7cm. There are 60 - 80 berries of such bunches. 

The bunch is cone-cylindrical, or winged. The structure of bunches is thin and the pedicel of the bunch and scion are grass-like and bright green. 

The grain. The grain, including the pedicel, equals 6 - 8mm, and is green. The pedicel is wrinkled, rarely smooth or wide cone-shaped and can also be narrow. The berry is not strongly attached to the pedicel. The length of large berries is 17 - 18.5mm, while the width – 14 - 14.6mm. A middle-sized berry is 14.5 - 17mm long and 12 - 13.2mm wide. A berry is quite thick, oval or longish, wider in the middle part, with a rounded end and is symmetrical. It is yellowish-amber colored, thin-skinned, very sweet and quite juicy. The skin of the berry is slightly covered with wax-like spots.

The seed. There are 1-3 seeds in a grain, mostly two. Seeds are about 6.5 - 7mm long and 3 - 4mm wide, and are brown. The basis is placed near to the back, nearly in the center, and is oval. The length of the tip is 2.0mm. 

AGRO-BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION

The course of vegetative phases. In the Chao village (Khulo district), the vegetation period of Javakhetura from the awakening of the vine to the fall of flowers lasted 225 days; in the collection of Kedi (Kedi district) – 230 days, while in Upper Fartskhma (Chokhatauri district) - 235 days.

Below is presented the data of phonological observation of Javakhetura (see Table 1).

As Table 1 indicates, the bio-phases of Javakhetura begin in different time periods in the villages Chao, Kedi and Upper Fartskhma. This is natural, as these villages are different from each other in climate.

The growth of the vines and the ripening of the sprout. Javakhetura is a strongly growing grapevine variety; in suitable cultivation circumstances it is very strong, maintaining the length of sprouts – often at 2 - 2.5m.

by the time of full grape-ripening, the sprouts are also ripened, taking on the characteristic coloring.

The productivity. Javakhetura provides the first signs of harvest from the third year of planting, while a full yield comes from the fourth year.

High formations of Javakhetura are more productive than those of the middle with the proper weather conditions, producing 30 - 40 kg grape per vine. On a sprout two unequal bunches are often generated. Typically, the sprouts developing from the old parts of the vine are unproductive. Below are given the mean characteristics of the productivity of Javakhetura (see Table 2).

The productivity of low vineyards of Javakhetura is regular, when loaded less (10 - 12buds) providing 2.5kg grape, while of in case of forming as a canopy, its productivity comes to 8 - 10kg and more. Due to flower-fall its bunches are relatively shallow, consisting of 5 - 8% small berries which are often seedless.

Resistance to pests and fungal diseases. It has been confirmed that Javakhetura does not give high quality production in the village of Chao. This village is north-facing and is less sun-lit. In southern and south-eastern vineyards (in the villages of Alme and Furtio) its grape is much more qualitative. For this, the best location to cultivate Javakhetura should be identified as highland, southern and sun-lit areas. In lowland areas, the excessive damp and warmth strengthen the influence of fungal diseases and, to overcome this, the vines of Javakhetura should be formed as high vineyards, such as canopies, and sprayed with Bordeaux mixture and, additionally, phosphorus.

The influence of winter frosts in the districts of Adjara is not significant (-5 °, -8 °) and causes no damage to the vegetative parts of Javakhetura. The vine awakens normally and develops without difficulty.

Javakhetura is a strong growing grapevine variety and needs to be heavier loaded– up to 36 - 40 buds by using forming forms such as one consisting of many hangers, or a canopy, with forming rings and 1.5 - 2m height of vines.

AGRO-TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

By its use, Javakhetura is a table grape grapevine variety, characterized with all the necessary features to satisfy all requirements for this (the beauty of bunches and berries, transportability and high values in taste).

Mechanical-chemical structure of the grape. The samples for the mechanical-chemical analysis were taken from the villages Chao (the district of Khulo), Kedi and Upper Fastrkhma. Below are presented the results of the mechanical-chemical analysis of a bunch of Javakhetura. 

High vineyards are characterized with comparatively thin bunches weighing about 160g. Relatively dense bunches are characteristic for low vineyards with a weight of 189g, while there are also berries of different weight. In the case of high vineyards, the average weight of a berry is 1.6g, while in low vineyards – 1.8 - 2g and more, determined by better care and moderate loading. In 100 berries there are 195 seeds weighing 6.1g.

GENERAL EVALUATION AND DISTRIBUTION BY DISTRICT

The recovering and re-distributing of Javakhetura should be one of the most interesting and crucial issues for the development of the table grape industry. Javakhetura is characterized with strong growth and- what is especially important -with high quality of production (including beauty of bunches and berries and good qualities of taste), also it is an early grapevine variety which is a very significant characteristic for this area as a mountainous zone.

To get high quality production from Javakhetura, it should be cultivated on southern and south-eastern slopes, pruned by using a form consisting of many hangers and loading with 30 - 49 buds. Canopy-forming is particularly recommended. Javakhetura should be widely distributed in central and upper Adjara in order to develop the viticulture there and advance it. 

In order to supply the resorts of Adjara with table grape, Javakhetura should be cultivated in the mountainous villages of Kobuleti and Batumi by using phylloxera resistant rootstocks.