Abstract
Hazelnut, occupying an important place in Turkey's economy, is the main source of income for many families of farmers. Hazelnut is grown especially in the Black Sea region. In recent years, it was observed that the average hazelnut yield in Turkey remained below that in other hazelnut producing countries. This research, it was aimed to investigate whether the agricultural practices carried out in the gardens defined as "sample hazelnut gardens" by the Arsin Chamber of Agriculture in Trabzon province have a positive effect on yield and to compare these practices with those of producers growing hazelnuts with traditional methods. In this study, all of seventeen producers who own sample gardens registered in the Chamber of Agriculture were face to face interviewed according to the census method, and surveys were administered. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Correlation analysis was conducted to reveal the relationship between sample hazelnut orchard practices and yield. In the study, a moderate negative relationship was found between the number of ocak and hazelnut yield at the 5% significance level (r = -0.595), and it was determined that hazelnut yield increased as the number of ocak decreased. The study also revealed that the new practices in pruning, fertilization, and weed control methods of the sample hazelnut orchards yields were higher than those in traditional garden practices. It was determined that the average hazelnut yield obtained by producers who practice hazelnut gardens is approximately 2 times higher than those in Trabzon province and Turkey. It was concluded that sample hazelnut garden practices and agricultural extension and applied training studies need to be widespread and supported in order to increase hazelnut yield in this region.
| Keywords: | Sample hazelnut orchard yield correlation Trabzon Turkey |