Citrus Production in Turkey Ben Faber, Turgut Yesiloglu, and Akif Eskalen

lexander the Great introduced ’Navelina’, ’Navelate’, ‘Lane Late’ and the threat of root rot and reducing the citrus to Turkey, as well as many ‘Cara Cara’. The rest of the orange impact of high pH), and they claim it Aother areas of the Middle East, production is Valencias,’Shamouti’ and reduces frost threat. Reliance on one in the fourth century BC. Since then, other local selections. Sixty percent of rootstock has been an issue, since sour the country has developed considerable the mandarins are Satsumas, such as orange is extremely sensitive to tristeza acreage, including most of the varieties ‘Okitsu Wase’,’ Owari’ and ‘Dobashi which is found in all the citrus-growing grown in many other citrus production Beni’; the rest of the plantings include areas, so in new plantings they have been areas of the world. Acreage in 1970 was ‘Nova’,’ Robinson’,’Fremont’, Clemen- evaluating trifoliate and the citranges, around 97,560 ac, and began expanding tine and ‘Minneola’. Troyer, Carrizo and C-35. – especially in the 1980’s – after large Fifty percent of the lemons are One result of the ridge plantings irrigation projects had been installed. ‘Kutdiken’ lemon (Citrus limon,a lo- is that it is hard to furrow irrigate the Today there are about 300,000 acres, cal selection), 15% are ‘Interdonato’ way they have done the older orchards. which translates into 3,026,940 tons of (Italy) which are less prone to a fatal Nearly all new plantings are set up with all manner of citrus. About half of this fungal disease Mal Secco (Phomoa drip and filters. This is in part because tonnage (47%) is oranges, around 25% tracheiphila), but the third variety and the government pays for a portion of is mandarins (but rapidly expanding), gaining rapidly because of high yields the system on the condition that growers and about 22% is lemons; the rest is and even more resistance to Mal Secco plant trees certified free of disease. Prior grapefruit and other miscellaneous and cooler conditions is ‘Meyer’ (15%). to 1992, plantings were often contami- citrus. As cotton, wheat and tobacco Virtually all the rootstocks are sour nated with viruses from the nursery. By come out of production, it is estimated orange because of high soil clay content, helping to fund the irrigation systems, that the citrus production capacity could high soil pH, and in places over 30 inches infection sources are being cleaned up. increase fivefold (Yesilogluet al., 2007). of rainfall. This rootstock is more resis- This is the only government support for Although there is still some risk of tant to root rot and to high pH (leading growers. There were lots of government frost, most of the production is in three to iron, zinc and manganese chlorosis). subsidies for various crops in the past, areas, none too far from the coast. A bit Farmers also deal with the problem by but no longer. over 75% is produced on the Cukurova building ridges that are about three feet Tristeza has been recognized as Plain near the city of Adana. Another high and five feet wide. This channels a problem since the 1920s. Growers 15% or so is around the town of Antalya, rainfall away from the roots, allowing are concerned with other diseases which also grows bananas and avoca- the roots to dry out sooner (reducing including Phytophthora root rot, Mal dos. And, the third Secco, Alternaria area (about 9% of the brown rot, citrus total production) is blast, stubborn, and around Izmir near the viruses and virus- Aegean Sea where like diseases, such as it is a little colder in exocortis, psorosis, winter and they focus crinkly leaf, xylopo- on mandarin produc- rosis, gummy bark, tion. Another area chlorotic dwarf, cit- located in the eastern rus variegated virus Black Sea region has and curly leaf. negligible production Some of the in- (about 0.6%). sect pests that are Seventy-nine per- problematic to the cent of the orange industry include production is navels Adana, Antalya and Izmir, circled, are the largest citrus-growing areas in whitefly, mealybug, such as ‘Washington’, Turkey. (Map source: US State Dept.) Mediterranean fruit 34 Citrograph September/October 2010 fly, California red scale, citrus rust mite but it then can lead to an outbreak of with 65% being eaten fresh domesti- and citrus leafminer. The chemicals they other pests. Growers here know this but cally. Ten percent is processed as juice. are allowed to use are largely dictated are forced to do so by regulations and In 2005, Turkey was the fourth largest by what the European Union and Russia economics. There is also an insectary exporter in the world. Most of the fruit will allow and the cost of the materials. modeled after the one in Santa Paula goes to Europe with 45% going to There are fewer registered pesticides that produces Leptomastix parasitic Russia and Ukraine. Lemons have the in Turkey than in the United States. For wasp and Cryptolaemus beetles for con- highest export earnings of citrus, with some reason, horticultural oils are more trolling mealybugs. The insectary has an mandarins returning 32% and oranges expensive in Turkey than in California. active trade among citrus growers here 20%.There are standards for exported The grower will apply a broad- spectrum and also ships to growers in Europe for fruit but not for the domestic fruit. pesticide like malathion for California citrus and other crops. The agriculture industry as a whole red scale because it is cheaper than oil, About 25% of the fruit is exported is coming to grips with Hazard Analysis

(Top left) This particular terrain in Turkey looks so familiar, like a scene in the San Joaquin Valley. (Top right) Cukurova Plain with citrus orchards in the background. (Middle left) New plantings of ‘Meyer’ lemon which are resistant to Mal Secco disease. (Middle right) Extremely modern facilities for propagating disease-free plants for sale to growers. (Bottom left) New plantings of ‘Meyer’ lemon with mandarins in the distance. (Bottom right) Spray application the old way.

September/October 2010 Citrograph 35 and Critical Control Points (HAACP) and European Good Agriculture Prac- tices (EuroGAP). You can imagine how difficult food safety issues would be when the average-sized citrus orchard here is 7.5 acres compared to the aver- age-sized farm in Turkey of 14.5 acres. The bulk of the fruit is sold domes- tically, and by law the traders who buy the fruit must sell through wholesale markets and not direct to retailers. The traders judge the crop, negotiate a price, harvest, transport, pack, store and distribute the fruit. The growers take all of the risks of freeze, hail damage and market fluctuations. The fruit is then dis- tributed to consumers in open markets (permanent and temporary bazaars), small grocers and street sellers. More and more, large retail supermarkets Harvesting lemons. Note ridges where the trees are planted. This is to improve are becoming prevalent and are asking drainage of both water and cold air and to improve soil aeration in wet weather. for bulk deliveries and cheaper prices. Imagine keeping track of where the ronment driven by export requirements, place to be able to move the increasing fruit is going and where it has been in and increasing citrus plantings are going amount of production through this new this system. to change the look of citrus in Turkey. A environment to the consumer. There no The pressures to conform to new better integration between the produc- doubt will be consolidation of the many markets, an increasing regulatory envi- ers and sellers is going to need to take pieces in this system in the next several years. With all the new acreage being planted, Turkey will become more and more a world citrus player in the market, PACIFIC DISTRIBUTING, INC and California growers should be aware Distributor for of what is going on there as well as in Orchard-Rite® other countries around the world. Ben Faber is a University of Cali- wind machines for fornia Cooperative Extension farm frost protection & advisor working in Ventura and Santa Tropic Breeze® Barbara counties. Dr. Faber is currently on sabbatical at Cukurova University original parts in Adana, Turkey, working on a variety of citrus and avocado research trials Sales with various faculty at the university. Service Turgut Yesiloglu is chair of the Hor- ticulture Department at Cukurova New University, and his research focuses on Used subtropical tree crops. Akif Eskalen, a native of Turkey, is UC Cooperative Portable Extension Subtropical Plant Patholo- Stationary gist and a research plant pathologist in the Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department at UC Riverside. 24 Hour The economic data for this article were taken from: Yesiloglu, T., F. Eme- Emergency ksiz, O. Tuzcu and T. Alemdar. 2007. Service Safe and high quality supply chains and Randy Quenzer, Sales networks for the citrus industry be- 559-564-3114 559-805-8254 tween Mediterranean partner countries. [email protected] National citrus sector analysis: Turkey. Woodlake, CA Jeff Thorning, Sales EuroMedCitrusNet. Pp39. Visit http:// 559-972-9937 www.yms.gov.tr/istatistik.aspx, Common [email protected] Board of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables www.orchard-rite.com Exporter Unions l

36 Citrograph September/October 2010