Despite being the world leader in the production of hazelnuts, Turkey’s nut yield per hectare is quite behind other producer countries. The main reasons for low yield are the completion of the economic life of hazelnut orchards and the lack of pruning following the technique. Hazelnuts are being grown with the ‘ocak’ system in Turkey. The ocak system is a bush-like growing technique that does not contain the main trunk but consists of shoots instead. It is necessary to maintain the optimum number of shoots per ocak to increase yield and quality in this system. The effects of different branch numbers on yield and fruit quality parameters of ‘Tombul’ and ‘Palaz’ hazelnut cultivars were investigated in Ordu ecological conditions. ‘Palaz’ had the highest yield per ocak in 8 branches (1460.19 g), while ‘Tombul’ had in the 5 branched ocak (2170.47 g). ‘Palaz’ and ‘Tombul’ had the highest fruit weights in 4 and 4–6 branches, respectively. The highest oil ratio of ‘Palaz’ was observed in 4 branches, while ‘Tombul’ had the highest in 5 branches. The highest kernel ratio was determined in 6 and 5 branches in ‘Palaz’ and ‘Tombul’, respectively. The ocaks with 4 and 5 branches were mostly expressed higher values, and it is foreseen that the number of branches should not exceed 6 to reduce the competition of the branches and to obtain good quality products.

Rosehip (Rosa spp.) is one of the most used non-wood forest products. It is an essential source of antioxidants and vitamin C besides having a wide range of uses in folk medicine and the marmalade industry. Therefore, for many years, researchers have made efforts to find the superior genotypes of this fruit. In previous studies, classical breeding methods were used in the evaluation of the data and more modernist approaches were given little attention. In this study, fruit characteristics and their relationships of rosehip genotypes growing in Bolu city center were determined by using more modernist analysis methods (Clustering, PCA) and correlation analysis. As a result of the study, while fruit weight was positively correlated with fruit size, it had a negative correlation with the fruit flesh ratio. In cluster analysis, genotypes were collected in two different groups, and PCA analysis supported this result. Results of the study proved that multivariate analysis has come to the fore as a highly effective method for evaluating genetic resources. Furthermore, the G-5 genotype stood out with its fruit weight and size.

ISHS I Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing SELECTION OF NATIVE CORNELIAN CHERRIES GROWN IN ?ORUM (TURKEY)

This research aimed to determine the effect of the number of nuts per cluster on the fruit characteristics of the Foşa hazelnut cultivar grown in the Arsin district of Trabzon province, Türkiye. Hazelnuts are divided into groups of 1 to 7 according to the number of nuts in cluster. Nut weight, nut length, nut width, nut depth, kernel weight, kernel length, kernel width, kernel depth, shell thickness, kernel ratio, husk length, husk width, and husk opening of the hazelnuts in each group were examined. Principal component analyses (PCA) was used to determine the relationship between the number of nuts in cluster and fruit characteristics. Nut weight, shell thickness, husk length, and husk width values were the highest values in single nut clusters. If the number of nuts in the cluster exceeds four, nut and kernel weights decrease. There was a negative relationship between the nut weight and nut length when the number of nuts in the cluster was above four. A strong relationship were observed in clusters 1, 2, 3, and 4, but a weaker relationship, was seen especially in clusters 5 and 7. A negative relationship was determined between the nut weight and nut length. This study clarified that increasing nut numbers shifts quality characteristics, particularly in a negative trend.

Cherry laurel is becoming increasingly popular due to its unique flavor, attractive appearance, and nutritional benefits. However, the morphological, pomological, and biochemical characteristics of the existing population in the Kaynaşlı district of Düzce, Türkiye, remain unclear. To address this, 33 genotypes in this area were systematically characterized in terms of pomological and biochemical traits and their interrelationships. The results revealed a wide variation in fruit and bunch characteristics, including fruit weight (ranging from 2.34 to 7.39 g), the number of fruits per bunch (ranging from 3 to 18), and total soluble solids content (from 10.00% to 22.40%). Notably, the G3 exhibited a superior fruit weight of 7.39 g, surpassing that of currently registered varieties. The study found that phenolic compounds, particularly catechin, were dominant across the individuals, along with significant levels of myricetin, rutin, gallic acid, and syringic acid. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering, confirmed a high level of diversity and identified eight individuals with superior traits related to fruit size, phenolic content, color, and astringency. These findings highlight the rich diversity in cherry laurel populations in the region and provide essential breeding material for future studies.

Frenk inciri (Opuntia ficus-indica), güney bölgelerimizde doğal olarak yetişen, kaktüsgiller ailesinden bir meyvedir. Bu çalışmada, Adana ilinin Bucak ve Bozcalar köyleri ve Mersin ilinin Yanıkkışla, İncirgediği, Kırıt, Cırbıklar, Taşobası, Kumdere, Çokak ve Aladağ köylerinden oluşan bölgede doğal olarak yetişen frenk inciri popülasyonu incelenmiştir. Sörvey çalışması ile iri meyveli ve nispeten az dikenli olduğu değerlendirilen genotipler çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Seçilen genotiplerde bazı temel meyve özellikleri çalışılmıştır. Temel bileşen ve kümeleme analizi ile ümitvar genotipler belirlenmiştir. Genotiplerde meyve ağırlıklarının 67.40-138.00g, yenilebilir meyve ağırlıklarının 25.70-82.77g ve SÇKM değerlerinin %9.10-13.23 arasında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Kümeleme analizi sonucunda beş genotip ümitvar olarak öne çıkmıştır. Çalışma sonuçları Adana-Mersin il sınırındaki köylerde yetişen frenk inciri genotiplerinin meyve boyutları bakımından düşük varyasyon gösterirken, özellikle yenilebilir meyve ağırlığı bakımından yüksek varyasona sahip olduğu ve bu özelliğin sonraki çalışmalarda bir ayıraç olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir.