Harvesting has begun for 10 grape varieties grown on a 10-decare vineyard established by the Department of Horticulture at Ondokuz Mayıs University’s (OMU) Faculty of Agriculture at the Bafra Research and Application Center.

Students have started harvesting the Trakya İlkeren and Early Sweet varieties, which stand out for their large berries, flavour, and attractive appearance.

The 10 grape varieties cultivated at the Faculty’s research and application area are being evaluated in terms of their adaptation to local conditions as well as their yield and quality characteristics. Students are also taking part directly in the harvesting process as part of their practical training.

“This is an early-ripening variety with high table-grape value”

Prof. Dr. Bülent Köse of OMU’s Faculty of Agriculture said that the vineyard at the Bafra Research and Application Center was established to assess the performance of 10 grape varieties under local conditions.

“We are at the Bafra Research and Application Center, where our vineyard has been established. We have 10 grape varieties on an area of 10 decares. The variety currently ready for harvest is Trakya İlkeren. We have evaluated all 10 varieties both for their adaptation to the region and for practical and research purposes. Several varieties have performed well under Bafra conditions, and Trakya İlkeren is one of them in particular. It is an early-ripening variety with high value as a table grape. Its colour becomes especially attractive as it ripens. We have now begun the harvest together with our students,” Köse said.

“An exemplary practice”

Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Orhan Dengiz also commented on the harvest, noting that the vineyard contributes to both research and production.

“Thanks to the efforts of Prof. Dr. Bülent Köse, we are now harvesting these grapes. We are pleased that these products contribute added value to our Faculty while also allowing us to generate research-based knowledge, share the results with local communities, and support production in the region. Our grape clusters have yielded very well this year, and we are seeing similar results in our other crops. This is an exemplary practice. I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Bülent Köse and Prof. Dr. Besim for their contributions,” Dengiz said.

Students stated that participating in the harvest gave them an opportunity to reinforce the knowledge they had gained in class through hands-on experience.

At the Bafra Research and Application Center, the adaptation and yield performance of 10 grape varieties continue to be studied, while the vineyard also supports academic research and practical agricultural education.