In this episode, the AgroTroia "Success in Agriculture" team met with growers in a cool olive grove set within a forest, in the village of Çamlıca in Ezine, Çanakkale. The experience shared by olive growers Nadir Öztürk and Ercan Kahraman together with AgroTroia agricultural engineers revealed the change that a well-designed olive nutrition program created in the grove. At the end of September when filming took place, there were about 15-20 days left until harvest, and the topic was clear: the effect of well-timed plant nutrition on yield and quality in olives.
Change in the olive grove in Çamlıca
For many years Nadir Öztürk gave priority to animal husbandry, especially goat raising, and saw olives almost as a stepchild. The appreciation in olive prices in recent years led him to take a closer interest in his grove. When he saw the more cared-for, greener trees of a grower in the neighboring village, he asked his secret and got to know AgroTroia. The grove, which has now completed its second year after he began working with regional engineer Reşat, was previously half yellowed but today has greened from end to end. Ercan Kahraman, following the example of his neighbor Nadir, switched to the same program; both growers are pleased with the progress in their groves.
Nutrition-based control of peacock spot
The grove's biggest trouble was peacock spot. Peacock spot is a fungal disease that begins to develop when the air temperature rises above 18 degrees and is known as one of the olive's chief enemies. According to engineer Reşat, the critical point is timing: when applications are delayed, the disease peaks, and at this stage no matter which product is used, if there is a heavy situation near the budding period, leaf drop becomes inevitable. The secret of success in this grove was that the applications were made exactly on time from the start of the season; thus the disease risk was forestalled before it even formed. AgroTroia's approach is that of a nutrition company, not a pesticide company: increasing the plant's resistance through healthy and correct nutrition. On the copper protection side, Copperas offers an alternative to traditional preparations such as Bordeaux mixture or bluestone without entering the field.
Breaking the on-year/off-year balance
The culturally learned perception in olives of "gives one year, doesn't the next" is actually a cycle that can be broken with correct nutrition. The engineers' emphasis is this: when properly cared for, the olive is a plant that can give a crop every year; a tree from which one ton is taken one year may give 800 kilos the next and 1,200 kilos the year after, but it need not experience a complete "off-year." Brother Nadir expects a similar, even better, yield this year from the trees from which he took 8 tons last season. It was recalled that nationwide about 3 million tons of olives were obtained in Turkey in 2022 and around 1.5 million tons in 2023; when this large year-to-year fluctuation is softened with balanced nutrition, a loss in the 25-30 percent band is made up for the grower. This year 2.5-3 tons of olive oil is targeted in the grove, and a sustainable yield next year.
Free consultancy and the assurance of the right product
Grower-focused work is the basic principle that AgroTroia highlights. The regional engineers tour the field and adapt the application to each grove according to the tree's condition and shoot mechanism; growers can get consultancy as close as a phone call away. Engineer Yunus Şimşek explained that the programs are prepared for a wide plant range from parsley to pine, but that after being sent like a fixed menu they are fine-tuned by the regional engineer according to climatic differences. The company's portfolio of about 21 products gives effective results when used at the right time and the right dose. The team also warns against imitation products: they recommend that growers deal only with AgroTroia-stamped products and the company's own engineers.
AgroTroia products featured in this episode
- Copperas – A product that offers an alternative to copper preparations without bringing them into the field, providing protection against fungal diseases.
This grove in Çamlıca shows how, when well-timed nutrition, field consultancy, and a patient pruning plan come together, a lasting change can be created in olives. Despite the difficult conditions within the forest, leaving peacock spot behind and the yield gaining stability sets an example for other growers in the region as well.
Source: AgroTroia – "Success in Agriculture" program, sponsored by AgroTroia.