Persimmon growing in Turkey

Although persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb, Diospyros lotus L. and Diospyros oleifera Cheng.) is also grown in the temperate climate zone in Turkey, it is concentrated in regions with subtropical climate zone. Although Persimmons have been grown in Turkey for many years, in the past periods regular large orchards were very limited and were mostly grown in the form of individual trees in home gardens. However, in recent years, many new orchards have been established. Persimmon production, which was 26,277 t in 2010, reached 60,661 t in 2020. The Mediterranean region accounts for 44% of this production. As of 2020, there are total of 1,855,878 trees, of which 1,244,110 fruit-bearing trees and 611,768 non-bearing trees. In Turkey, Persimmon fruits are consumed as a fresh as well as dried fruit. Persimmon, which is currently being grown on an area of 4,040 ha, has a great potential considering the ecological conditions of Turkey. Diospyros kaki among the Diospyros species is grown commercially in Turkey. However, a limited number of Diospyros lotus plants are also grown for using as rootstocks in nurseries. Diospyros oleifera is also grown in very small quantities in the Mediterranean region. Many promising clones in different parts of Turkey have been identified by the selection studies conducted since the 1980s, and their morphological and molecular characterization has been performed. There are currently 10 registered persimmon genotypes and 1 patented cultivar. In our country, mostly both astringent local cultivars with high tannin content and introduced cultivars are grown.