In this episode, AgroTroia's "Success in Agriculture" program was a guest at an olive grove in Arıklıkaş village in the Bahça district of Osmaniye. After the episode filmed here a year earlier, the team returned to the same grove; because the aim was to show that the success was not a one-year coincidence but lasting. With the grove's owner Hasan Akyıldız, dealer Osman Bey (Dalar Tarım), agricultural engineer Cemal and local grower Yahya Bey, how the plant nutrition program in olives is applied was discussed. In this article we have compiled the experiences shared in the conversation and the application calendar.
The rescue story of an olive grove in Osmaniye Bahça
Two years ago, Hasan Akyıldız faced a serious loss after an unusual snowfall. The branches of the Gemlik olives in his grove dried out, and he even considered cutting down the trees and planting another crop instead. He later learned that the product he was using at the time, although its name resembled AgroTroia, was actually a different, imitation brand. After meeting AgroTroia through Osman Bey and starting to apply the right products, roughly 70 percent of the trees both survived and bore fruit in the first year; the remaining 30 percent greened up the following year. In the end, not a single one of the 300 trees was cut down. The grower shares that despite all the trouble he experienced last year, he obtained 1600 kilos of product and got 1 kilo of oil from 4.3 kilos of olives. The summary of the story is clear: correct nutrition can bring back a drying grove and the grower's labor.
The olive nutrition program from winter to harvest
Agricultural engineer Cemal explained the program applied throughout the season step by step. In the winter preparation period after harvest, the shoots are fed; together with Copperas, boron and zinc are used to strengthen the fruit buds. In January-February, the soil fertilizer comes into play. It was emphasized that, due to the region's calcareous soil structure, sulfur-containing NPK fertilizers should be preferred instead of plain NPK, and that by adjusting the application according to the rain situation, losses are prevented. In the later period, with flowering, activator and phosphorus-containing products are applied, and in the peppercorn drop period, New Olive, Combi and Aminado applications are made. During the pit hardening period, a half dose of Copperas and an amino acid supplement come to the fore against heat stress. Hasan Bey stated that he made seven applications this season and that his trees passed the winter without problems.
Fighting diseases and pests in olives
One of the most discussed topics in the program was the correct understanding of Copperas. According to Cemal, Copperas is not a fungicide; it is a copper-based product that makes the plant resistant with the inorganic acid, amino acids and trace elements in its content. During the period when peacock spot and similar diseases peak at 18-22 degrees, it is applied before budding to increase the plant's resistance. The three different damage stages of the olive moth (leaf, flower-bud and fruit period) were described; it was stated that in the fruit it bores a hole inward from the stalk, leading to drop. Against mite damage, to prevent deformation in leaf and fruit, Liquid S80 is used, especially in brine varieties. Contrary to the widespread belief that "no pesticide or fertilizer is applied during flowering," it was conveyed that an application made with the right product increases success; and that active ingredients must be changed constantly to prevent the formation of resistance.
The rise of olive growing in Çukurova
Looking at the regional picture, it was discussed that olive growing has rapidly become popular in recent years in Çukurova and especially along the Osmaniye-Düziçi line. The fact that crops such as citrus and lemon do not generate enough income economically has steered many growers toward olives. It was noted that the Bahça district, lying between Antep and Nurdağı, shows a microclimate close to the Antep climate; that this satisfies the chilling requirement while also easing disease and pest pressure. However, because the region is in a pass position, air circulation is high and transitions are sharp; this in turn increases the plant's need for resistance. It was stated that over the last six years olive growing has increased considerably in Osmaniye, and that the province is one of the fastest-growing places in olive farming in Turkey.
Reaching the grower: AgroTroia's field approach
The shared emphasis of the conversation was that success spreads from grower to grower. Hasan Bey recounted that 10-15 people who saw his grove after last year's broadcast started using AgroTroia products. Dealer Osman Bey's portfolio has grown markedly in a year; it was noted that, alongside olives, the products are used in cherry, walnut, strawberry, vegetables and many other fruits. The team explained that, whether one has a single tree or a thousand trees, they go to the grove without distinction and make on-site assessments; that they provide prescriptions one to one. A call was made to growers experiencing frost, hail, branch canker and verticillium wilt not to cut down their trees immediately, that the solution lies in nutrition programs. It was recalled that the olive, as a forest plant, is resistant to cold and drought.
Featured AgroTroia products in this episode
- Copperas - a product containing copper, amino acids and trace elements that makes the plant resistant
- New Olive - nutrition application in olives
- Combi - supplement during the peppercorn drop period
- Aminado - amino acid supplement
- Liquid S80 - application against mite damage
- Activo - activator during the flowering period
This grove in Osmaniye Bahça is a concrete example showing how drying trees are reclaimed through correct nutrition and continuous field follow-up. The shared message of the grower and the dealer is clear: success in olives comes not with a one-time intervention, but with a program that lasts throughout the season. Getting expert support before giving up can save both the trees and years of labor.
Source: AgroTroia - "Success in Agriculture" program, sponsored by AgroTroia.