History

Horticulture is a department that has been operating since 1983-1984 when our faculty was established. In the department, various kinds of research are carried out on cultivation techniques, breeding, pre-harvest, and post-harvest physiology, biotechnology, post-harvest technology, preservation, and preparation for the market of horticultural products in the fields of fruit growing, viticulture, and ornamental plants. In the selection of research topics, priority is given to the problems of the Mediterranean Region, and especially the cultivation of early vegetables, fruits, vineyards, and ornamental plants in greenhouses gains importance. In addition, importance is given to the adaptation of new tropical, subtropical and temperate climate fruit species and varieties that can be grown in the region and to studies aiming to spread them in the region.

Studies in the department are carried out in the greenhouses of the faculty in the research and application area and in various fruit, vineyard, and ornamental plant plots. Furthermore, air conditioning, cold and controlled atmosphere storage rooms, “Tissue Culture”, “Quality Control and Pomology” and “Cytology-Histology” laboratories equipped with the necessary tools and materials in the department are also used in these studies. Reproduction by tissue cultivation methods, post-harvest physiology of horticultural products, and storage in the cold and controlled atmosphere are also emphasized. Besides, joint research projects are carried out on these issues in cooperation with various agricultural organizations and universities in the country and abroad.