Effects of different soil improvers and nutrients on yield and quality in organic fig cultivation

Sarılop variety figs have an important value in terms of production in Turkey. Aydın one of the provinces where cultivation is carried out has undertaken most of the production. It is an important fruit type grown for drying with the suitable climatic characteristics of the region. In Sarılop fig cultivation there is not enough literature information on the use and effects of the substances permitted in the organic agriculture regulation in terms of sustainability of soil fertility and meeting nutrient needs within the scope of organic agriculture. In this thesis study it was aimed to determine the effects of some soil improvers and nutrients on tree development and fig yield and quality in organic fig cultivation. For this purpose a thesis study covering the years 2020-2021 was carried out in a garden located in this region where sarilop fig trees are located and organic farming is carried out. The materials of the study were combinations of organic fertilizers containing organic certified potassium sulfate, green manure (common vetch + barley), cattle manure, vermicompost and bat manure from soil improvers and nutrients permitted by that regulation. In the study with 12 different combinations including green manure green manure+ K2SO4 solid farm manure solid farm manure+ K2SO4 solid vermicompost solid vermicompost+ K2SO4 solid vermicompost+ liquid vermicompost+ K2SO4 powder bat manure+liquid bat manure powder bat manure+liquid bat manure+ K2SO4 natural vegetation natural vegetation+ K2SO4, phenological observations, morphological analyses, soil and leaf analyses and quality analyses of dried fruits at 22-24% moisture content were carried out. By determining the yield and number of fruits per tree on the basis of treatments, classifications were made according to quality characteristics. In addition, pomological and biochemical analyses were performed for colour parameters (L, a, b, hue, chroma), moisture (%), aqua activity (%), total soliple solid (%), total acidity (%), pH and sugar contains (glucose, fructose, sucrose) in dried fruit and the effects of treatments were determined. Length, diameter and average number of fruits were calculated for annual shoots on the tree. The obtained values were assessed statistically. When the results were evaluated in general positive effects of bat manure and vermicompost fertilizer were found in many parameters examined in terms of both yield per tree and fruit quality characteristics. In particular there has been an increase in the fruit quality characteristics of the applications combined with organic certified potassium sulfate fertilizer. Key words: Organic farming, Soil conditioners, Sarılop fig, Fruit.