The next day was dedicated to the technical visits of the ETP Farm Tour. The first stop was the meeting with the University, Prof. Dr. Songül Sever Mutlu from Antalya university gave a very interesting presentation about research breeding and new products. After her talk, asst. Prof. Dr. Ali Salman from Ege university gave a presentation about current situation of turf production in Turkey (Ali Salman). Also prof. Volterrani, from Pisa University, presented their activity and research. After a coffee break, the participants visited some local producers in the area of Torbali, where a typical Turkish lunch was offered on the turfgrass of the sod farm.
The organizer of the event, Serhat Aksu is the General Manager of the company ANADOLUCIM, with more than 20 years of experience in turf grass and hosted the group in his farm. They produce sod for landscapers and homeowners. Sports turf for football, golf and other sports facilities. The outstanding variety TAHOMA31 represent a significant part of the business.
The day was closed by an exquisite dinner in a restaurant in the town of Izmir, in front of the sea, after which the participants were left to chill out and relax.
On the 27th the group visited the ruins of Ephesus, an UNESCO World Heritage Site: an ancient city known for its well-preserved archaeological sites, including the Temple of Artemis, Library of Celsus, and the Great Theater of Ephesus. The tour ended in Sirince, about 8 kilometers from Ephesus, with a typical lunch.
ETP wishes to thank everyone who attended the Farm Tour for making this a most entertaining and informative event, especially the sponsor that provided a significant support to the association. We would like to thank Turfcom and Semillas Fitó as Top sponsor, and VMow and Barenbrug as sponsor. We hope to see you in October 2024 for the ETP’s 6th Farm Tour in Rome, Italy.