Technical Field Study on Subtropical Fruit Species
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
This four-day technical trip by students from the Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, spanning from Ören to Yatağan, began at the first stop of the journey: the olive groves, symbols of resilience and deep-rooted heritage.
These century-old olive trees you see on the screen are living witnesses to thousands of years of adaptation. Under the guidance of Professor Dr. Mücahit Taha Özkaya, students examined firsthand how this ancient heritage meets modern agricultural techniques. This frame captured in Hüsamlar illustrates exactly that, as students personally witnessed the ecological restoration process of a former mining site. The day’s fatigue was washed away at Ören beach, where a birthday celebration accompanied by the sea breeze further strengthened the team's bonds. These moments were a beautiful reminder that agriculture flourishes not only with plants but also with human communities.
On the second day, we turned our route toward the Dalaman TİGEM facilities, the hub of institutional agriculture. Former mining sites are being adorned with olive trees, and in a field located in the Milas district of Muğla, 4,000 more olive saplings were planted. Primary school and university students joined forces for the same cause, bringing the total number of saplings planted in the field over the last three years to 250,000. These saplings aim to rehabilitate the old mining area, which served the industry for 40 years. Experts noted that olive trees can now be transported 365 days a year once the necessary conditions for survival are met. We are witnessing a prime example of mining rehabilitation—restoring land to its original state and reintegrating it into nature. Muğla Governor İdris Akbıyık also emphasized that the olive remains a strategic product. In front of the historic TİGEM building, the facility manager explained to students how agricultural production is planned on a macro scale.
The third and perhaps most exciting part of the trip was dedicated to modern greenhouse cultivation and exotic fruits. In this modern greenhouse in Fethiye, accompanied by Professor Dr. Köksal Demir, we see how technology and engineering merge with agriculture. The students observed the intricacies of transitioning from open-field farming to controlled greenhouse systems. Modern greenhouse cultivation is the optimization of temperature, humidity, and nutrient cycles through flawless engineering, and these images provide proof of that optimization. Production methods in three different greenhouses were compared, allowing students to reinforce their theoretical knowledge by observing the differences between soilless hydroponic systems in strawberries, climate control in tomatoes, and intensive canopy management in eggplants.
Finally, we reached the moments where subtropical boundaries were pushed. A massive banana greenhouse in Seydikemer simulates a tropical forest in the heart of the Mediterranean. Under the guidance of Professor Dr. Mücahit Taha Özkaya and the greenhouse owner, students learned the secrets of growing papaya and passion fruit alongside bananas. These frames are striking evidence of how the vegetation of an entirely different latitude can be simulated within the Mediterranean climate. The final stop of the technical trip was Yatağan and olive oil technology. With a visit to the TUAY olive oil factory, the journey from soil to table was completed. Through Atilla Totoş’s presentation, the importance of olive oil as a health component and the nuances of tasting tests were experienced. Under the theme of craft and refinement, the alchemy of olive oil was passed on to the students. This four-day marathon concluded as an unforgettable and highly productive field experience, serving as a concrete demonstration of Türkiye’s agricultural potential and how young engineer candidates will carry this potential forward.
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