The project was launched in 2021 within the scope of TEMA Foundation's Fund for the Protection of Agricultural Soils and Biodiversity. The project aims to expand the cultivation of leguminous fodder crops and cover crops in order to increase the soil organic matter and nitrogen content between olive rows in gardens that are suitable in terms of garden establishment with the sample application studies to be carried out between 2021-2023. The study will be carried out in Akhisar district as a sample application.
The project will be carried out in 10 olive orchards in at least 5 villages with intensive olive cultivation in Akhisar district. In the project, it is aimed to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil, prevent erosion between the rows, and fix (bind) the nitrogen of the air to the soil by cultivating leguminous forage crops between the olive rows. Thus, it is aimed to protect the soil against erosion, to improve the soil with the increase in the amount of organic matter, to increase the water retention capacity, to increase the biological activity in the soil, to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by fixing the nitrogen of the air to the soil, to use organomineral fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers when needed, and to use some of the fodder plants as roughage for the producers engaged in animal husbandry, if desired, and thus to reduce the roughage costs of the producers. As an additional activity, practices will be carried out on the dissemination of biotechnical control methods in the fight against olive fly.
In the first year of the project in 2021, determination of the gardens, stakeholder interviews, preparation of producer training contents, producer trainings, pre-application soil analysis of the selected sample application gardens, planting practices during the planting period of forage crops to be grown for winter and organomineral fertilizer applications will be carried out.
In the project carried out in cooperation with Akhisar District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and Akhisar Chamber of Agriculture, stakeholder meetings with the relevant institutions and the villages to be implemented, visits to the villages where the application gardens will be selected, interviews with producers and producer trainings content development studies were carried out. As of the end of August 2021, the brochure "Green Fertilization with Cover Crop Cultivation in Olive Groves" was prepared, a training and project information meeting was held with the participation of approximately 50 producers in Dereköy and Ballıca Villages, and 10 olive orchards where sample applications will be made were determined.
In 2022, forage legumes, cover crop cultivation and green manuring applications were carried out in a total of 12 application orchards in Bekirler, Hamidiye, Ballıca, Zeytinliova, Dereköy and Mecidiye neighbourhoods of Akhisar district. In order to determine the plant nutrient content in the sample application orchards, soil analyses were carried out with soil samples taken from the application orchards. An orchard day event was organised with the participation of 110 people. 75 people were trained on "Green Fertilization in Olive Groves". Organomineral fertilizer application and vetch+barley mixture seed planting for green manure purposes were carried out in 12 application orchards in Bekirler, Hamidiye, Ballıca, Zeytinliova, Dereköy and Mecidiye villages in Akhisar district. Soil analyses were carried out to determine plant nutrient content. An orchard day event was organised in an application orchard with the participation of 104 people. A total of 236 people were reached throughout the year through producer training and meetings with producers.
In 2023, legume forage crops, cover crop cultivation and green manuring practices were carried out in a total of 12 implementation gardens in Bekirler, Hamidiye, Ballıca, Zeytinliova, Dereköy and Mecidiye neighborhoods of Akhisar district. In order to determine the plant nutrient content in the sample application gardens, soil analyzes were carried out with soil samples taken from the application gardens. According to the soil analysis results of 2023, the amount of organic matter in the application gardens increased from 1.08 to 1.38. A garden day event was organized with the participation of 52 people. 331 people received training on "Green Fertilization in Olive Groves". As of the end of 2023, organomineral fertilizer application and vetch+barley mixture seed planting for green manure purposes were carried out in 12 application gardens in the villages of Bekirler, Hamidiye, Ballıca, Zeytinliova, Dereköy and Mecidiye in Akhisar district, on an area of 100 decares.
The brochure developed within the scope of the project can be accessed from the link below.
