On 3 September 2026, the Technical University of Moldova (UTM) and Costești Town Hall hosted a hands-on seminar on sustainable technologies and practices for growing table grapes. The event marked the start of activities at UTM’s University Extension Centre in Costești, Ialoveni district.
UTM’s extension work is partly inspired by North Carolina State University, where cooperative extension links the university with farming communities through local centres and specialists who work directly with growers.
NC State Extension runs 101 local centres and employs more than 1,200 professionals, with an estimated annual economic impact of around $2.1 billion. The model starts with the problems growers themselves identify. For UTM, it’s a useful reference point as the university builds its own extension work in Moldova.
Daniela Pojar, UTM’s Vice-Rector for Internationalisation, said:
Agricultural extension brings the university closer to farmers and research closer to the field. Through these centres, UTM specialists share their expertise directly with farming communities, while students get real-world settings for hands-on projects. As a result, teaching and research become more responsive to the sector's needs.
The seminar brought together grape growers, researchers, university lecturers, specialists, students and local government representatives.
The programme focused on three areas directly linked to table grape production:
- integrated vineyard protection, presented by Assoc. Prof. Sergiu Panuța, PhD, of UTM’s Faculty of Agricultural, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, who is also Technical Director at ADAMA
- digital tools and technology solutions, presented by Veaceslav Vidrașco, co-founder of Frudova
- investment and economic efficiency, presented by Assoc. Prof. Andrei Zbancă, PhD, of UTM’s Faculty of Economic Engineering and Business
The practical part of the seminar took place at the VED-MAR AGRO and Frudova demonstration plot, supported by ADAMA. Out in the vineyard, Vlad Vidrașco walked growers through the results so far and answered their questions.
This format lets growers see solutions at work in real conditions and makes it easier for specialists and farmers to learn from each other. Demonstration plots can also be used to test new technologies, track results and pass on what works to other farms.
Plant Protection students from UTM also took part. In the field, they were able to see:
- common plant health problems and how to deal with them
- the technologies used in production
- how technical decisions affect costs and financial results
Getting students involved links their studies to the day-to-day work of farms. At the same time, the challenges growers face can become topics for research, student projects and field trials.
The seminar is the first in a series of activities at UTM’s University Extension Centre in Costești, which will host training sessions, advisory services and joint projects with farmers.
Through its extension work, UTM aims to connect academic expertise and research with the realities of farming. The Costești centre will be a meeting point for specialists, students and growers, a place where knowledge and field experience can be turned into practical solutions for farming in Moldova.
The seminar was organised as part of the educational and knowledge-transfer project “Exchange Speaker Program: North Carolina State University – Technical University of Moldova with the participation of other universities.”
