In this episode, the AgroTroia "Success in Agriculture" team visited the Kırkkavak area of the Mut district of Mersin. In Mut, one of the important centers of table apricots, plums, and olive oil, we came together in the olive grove of retired sergeant major Selim Özer and his wife Sakin Özer. With contributions from Yusuf Sarı of Göksu Tarım, the regional AgroTroia dealer, and agricultural engineer Nuh Karacaoğlu, we discussed olive cultivation and the challenges experienced this season. We addressed with field examples how yield can be preserved in Mut when the olive nutrition program is set up correctly.
Mut: The Center of Olives and Table Produce
Mut is a district where table apricots, olives and olive oil, and plums all stand out. Thanks to its microclimate, a wide variety of produce can grow in this geography; pistachios and figs are among them. The district has a deep-rooted history of olive growing, as can be understood from the monumental olive tree in the Haydar neighborhood, registered at 1316 years old. One of the encouraging pieces of news this season is that Mut olive oil, with its taste, aroma, and color, has received geographical indication registration in the European Union. Mut also stands out as one of the places in Turkey with the most olive oil mills at the district level, and it has a population that lives intertwined with agriculture.
Agricultural Frost and Drought: The Season's Greatest Threat
This year, serious crop losses were experienced in fruit growing across Turkey; losses were high in cherries, walnuts, and almonds in many regions. Although the yield loss in stone fruits in Mut remained relatively limited, the loss in walnuts, cherries, and almonds on the high plateaus was quite heavy. In olives, both the tree fatigue carried over from last season's abundant harvest and frost damage reduced the yield. The grove owners reported that at the moment of frost, the olive buds at the base of the leaves (in the producer's words, "louse heads") were damaged. In addition to frost, drought is also a factor increasing its impact in the region. According to experts, frost damage is more severe in groves that are pruned early, where excess nitrogen is used in the early period, and that experience drought; for this reason, pruning is recommended as a cultural measure not immediately after harvest but at the end of March or beginning of April, and not too deep.
Protection Against Frost and Diseases with Copperas
The dealers and producers in the region describe the copper fertilizer solution Copperas among AgroTroia products as the "lead of the train." Producers explain that two applications are made per year in olives: one after harvest and the other in February. It is emphasized that full yield may not be seen in the first year, and that the real result is obtained from the second year onward. It is reported that Copperas noticeably reduces the fluctuation between the on-year and off-year, and that when used together with New Olive and other nutrition products, periodicity is significantly balanced. Agricultural engineer Nuh Karacaoğlu states that, together with the effect of copper-based products on the shoot mechanism, they also provide tolerance against frost events. Producers expressed that this season they experienced damage being prevented in some groves through the pre-frost application of Copperas.
Olive Mites and the Preservation of Table Quality
The table quality of olives in the region is very high; so much so that olives grown in Mut can be evaluated as table olives. However, red spider mite damage, known as olive mites, can cause deformation in the fruit, lowering its table value. When deformation is severe, the olive has to be evaluated as oil olive instead of table olive. Since there is no ministry-licensed pesticide against this pest, the timing of the fight is of great importance. On the AgroTroia side, it is stated that the repellent property of Liquid S80 is used against olive mites, and that applications are made after fruit set. It is also emphasized that nematode trouble is a topic that needs to be monitored in the region.
The Producer's Reality: Cost, Middlemen, and Determination
The grove owners expressed that the biggest problem facing production is the price gap between the field and the market. Produce that leaves the field at a low price being sold at a multiplied price in the market strains both the producer and the consumer; some crops were left in the field unharvested this season because they did not cover their cost. Producers explain that middlemen and the tax burden noticeably increase prices, and that the need for land consolidation and agricultural reform continues. Despite this, Selim and Sakin Özer beginning to market their olive oil under their own brand is a hopeful step toward reducing the middleman. While about 12-13 tons of produce was obtained from this grove last season, it was stated that this year, due to frost, the crop dropped to nearly 1 ton; for a grove of about 300 trees, this is a serious loss. Still, the producers are determined to stubbornly continue producing.
Featured AgroTroia products in this episode
- Copperas — a copper fertilizer solution used against diseases and pests in olives that reduces periodicity and contributes to frost tolerance.
- New Olive — a product used for nutrition and yield balance in olives.
- Liquid S80 — a product whose repellent property is used against olive mite (red spider mite) damage.
This conversation in Mut showed once again that success in olive cultivation depends not only on climate conditions but on correct pruning timing, balanced nutrition, and disease-pest management. Groves that can preserve their yield with the right program despite the pressure of frost and drought prove that continuity in production is possible. Mut olive growing, with both its deep-rooted history and new achievements such as geographical indication registration, continues to make an important contribution to the region's agriculture.
Source: AgroTroia – "Success in Agriculture" program, sponsored by AgroTroia.