Determination of the Nutritional Levels of Pine Nut Trees in the Kozak Plateau of Bergama, İzmir

Abstract

The pine nut tree, an important species in terms of its fruit, is best suited to grow in the İzmir Bergama (Kozak plateau) and Aydın-Koçarlı regions of Turkey. The total area of pine nut trees in the Kozak region is approximately 6,000 hectares. In recent years, significant declines in seed production, accompanied by cone loss, have been observed in many regions of our country, particularly in the Kozak region. There may be various reasons for this decline in yield, one of which is thought to be the trees' nutritional deficiency. Therefore, the leaf nutrient content of pine nut trees in the village of Karaveliler, located in İzmir-Bergama, was examined. For this purpose, one, two and three year old needle samples were taken from trees in two different periods, in June when the one year old cones started to form and in November when the one year old cones were shed. In addition to differences between trees, differences in needle age and seasons were also examined. As the vegetation period progressed, increases in the concentrations of calcium and magnesium elements occurred in the needle leaves of pine trees, while decreases occurred in other macro and micro nutrient elements. Similarly, as needle age increased, decreases were observed in all nutrient elements except calcium and magnesium. At the end of the analyses, some differences were found among trees in terms of nutrient content. However, no significant deficiencies were detected in any nutrient.