In this episode, the AgroTroia "Success in Agriculture" team was at a table-olive orchard in Erdek that has applied the AgroTroia olive nutrition program for ten years. In this season when drought, late frost, and volatile prices have worn out the grower, it was striking that this orchard bore full and quality produce while there was almost no fruit in the surrounding orchards. In the program, AgroTroia board member Umut Dönmez, Erdek Tarım dealer agricultural engineer Tahir Özgür Taner, and farmer Mahir Boğa explained the effect of care and nutrition on yield in olive.
A productive orchard in a difficult season in Erdek
According to host Cemil Bektaş, this season was quite difficult in terms of agricultural production: drought, late frost, and economic pressures wore out the grower. Dealer Tahir Özgür Taner noted that in central Erdek the olive was only around 10 percent compared to the previous year. By contrast, the orchard visited was lush and loaded. The fact that the trees in farmer Mahir Boğa's 380-tree orchard still set abundant fruit, despite a hard pruning last winter that removed about 20 tons of wood, stood out as a striking example showing the effect of correct care. Mahir Boğa said that he applied the program completely and on time, and therefore did not experience the on-year off-year problem and got produce every year.
Pruning and canopy management: the tree shading itself
The AgroTroia expert emphasized that the most important area for improvement in the orchard was pruning. Instead of very hard pruning that prunes back only from the upper branches, a canopy structure in which the tree can shade itself homogeneously is recommended. Because water pumping in olive works from top to bottom, setting fruit on the upper branches too both preserves the tree's balance and makes the fight against diseases and pests easier. It was noted that the habit of harvesting fruit only on the skirt branches and lower tiers is not always correct, and that a balanced distribution gives a healthier result.
Irrigation and balanced fertilization
Since olive, like pomegranate, is a plant with alternate-bearing behavior, excessive irrigation and excessive nitrogen fertilization trigger excessive drop in the tree. The expert explained that in orchards with water, irrigation should be reduced somewhat, and that nitrogen supplementation done before its period and in excess aggravates fungal infections. It was conveyed that excessive potassium fertilization used as harvest approaches can also cause the fruit to mature and drop before its time. The key here is a systematic and seasonal nutrition given according to need, leaving the plant neither without water nor overloaded. Farmer Mahir Boğa shared that with the copper-based application he made during the flowering period, he saw abundant and beautiful flowering in his own orchard while flowering was scarce in neighboring orchards.
Main diseases and pests in olive
Although rainfall decreases with climate change, the persistence of dew and humidity feeds fungal diseases. First, olive anthracnose appears; low-diameter mycelium grows together with the sun's direct rays and humidity, causing rot in the fruit, and if not controlled it spreads rapidly. In second place comes the olive stalk fungus, which causes drying at the point where the stalk joins the fruit; especially in orchards that are weed-heavy and over-irrigated, these diseases increase because the evaporation coefficient rises. On the pest side, the olive fruit fly, which begins to lay eggs when the soil temperature exceeds 10 degrees, causes stung fruit and creates early drop; in addition, the flower stalk borer enters from the corner where the fruit joins the stalk and hollows out the inside of the pit, causing drops. Ring spot and the Mediterranean fruit fly were also counted among the other problems encountered in the region. For this reason, weed management, balanced irrigation, and timely protection in the orchard are of great importance.
From care to market: caliber, harvest, and geographical indication
The experts emphasized that in olive the work does not end with merely setting the fruit; that the real mastery is to caliber the fruit, hold it on the branch, and turn it into a profitable product. Because this season the fruit blackened and dropped early across the country, harvest was brought forward by one to one and a half months; by contrast, in this orchard tonnage, shoots, and set were all preserved until the September 20 harvest. Dealer Tahir Özgür Taner explained that Erdek has a deep-rooted olive-growing culture dating from prehistory, that they established an association called Erzeyder to represent the growers, and that they aim to develop yield, sales, and marketing opportunities together. He noted that a geographical indication was obtained for Erdek olive oil, and that while preserving Marmara Birlik's strong structure in the region, they continue their search for alternative markets. He added that the orchard cared for this year was in fact an "off-year," yet its good set and caliber show that correct care also secures the following year.
Featured AgroTroia products in this episode
- Copperas – the copper-based application the farmer said he applied during the flowering period, supporting abundant and healthy flowering.
This orchard in Erdek concretely showed how correct pruning, balanced irrigation, and nutrition together with timely disease-pest management make a difference in olive, despite the adverse picture around it. With ten years of consistent care, both this year's harvest and next year's yield are secured. It was once again emphasized that, for the grower's labor to pay off, market and price policies must be strengthened alongside care.
Source: AgroTroia – "Success in Agriculture" program, sponsored by AgroTroia.