GEYVE QUINCE AND MARKETING COMMUNICATION

“As the dawn broke, the watchmen of the caravan slowly began to wake everyone up. The caravan, which stopped at a fountain along the length of the road, is now getting ready for a new day. The dryness taken from Beypazarı was about to run out. For the morning meal, yams had to make flatbread, and the chef had to make soup. After a couple of hours, after all the men were satisfied, the loads would be loaded on the camels again and they would be in Geyve in the evening. As they do every autumn, they will load a few camel loads of quince and set out for Istanbul. The caravan, which took and left loads wherever they passed since the candlestick, would now wait for the next spring.” This was how things were in ancient times.

Istanbul, Gebze, Izmit, Geyve, Taraklı, Goynuk, Nallihan, Ankara, thanks to the Silk Road, these lands have always been one of the carriers of civilization. This vein, on the other hand, takes its power from the civilizations on which it lives. Geyve, a district of Sakarya, is one of the best carriers of this past with its history of approximately six thousand years. Geyve quince has a great influence on this historical depth of Geyve. Because one of the homelands of quince is Anatolia.

China, Uzbekistan, Morocco and Iran follow our country, which ranks first in the world with 190 thousand tons in world quince production. At this point, one of the interesting data is; Although China has 7 times more quince planting areas than Turkey, it is not the world leader. While Turkey has a quince yield of 3.6 times the world average and ranks second after Switzerland in the world ranking, China is far below the world average and is in the last place. About 90% of the world's quince exports are made by five countries, namely Turkey, Netherlands, Spain, Greece and Austria. Turkey is the world's largest quince exporter and 41.4% of the world's quince exports are made by Turkey. The country that imports the most quince in the world is Russia with a share of approximately 20%.An antioxidant store and cardiovascular friendly, Geyve Quince is produced annually by approximately 2000 producers of 60 thousand tons. Geyve geography, with 475 thousand trees within its geographical borders, is painted white in spring and yellow in autumn. If you want to have an imaginary journey on the village roads, you should definitely be in Geyve during these months.

Geyve Quince's Geographical Indication Journey

Geyve Quince, whose geographical boundaries are in Geyve district, Geyve Quince, whose application was made on August 2, 2017 with the initiative of Sakarya Commodity Exchange: On June 17, 2020, our geographical indication no. 500 was registered by the Turkish Trademark and Patent Institute.

Distinctive Features of Geyve Quince as a Geographical Indication Product:

It is known that quince, which is one of the oldest fruit species to be cultivated, was grown in 650 BC and its homeland is North-West Iran, Turkistan and Anatolia.

Geyve Quince is grown in the Geyve Plain in the Geyve district of Sakarya province. Climatic conditions, wind intake, soil structure, being on the edge of the Sakarya River, the direction of sunlight, proper garden setup and production by skilled farmers for many years have given Geyve Quince its distinctive features. Geyve Quince is known in the market as it does not give a feeling of suffocation and congestion due to its sugar-acid ratio balance. Unlike other quince varieties, the flower pit depth and opening of Geyve Quince are close to the surface. This feature makes its appearance valuable in terms of marketing. It has a striking bright yellow color in terms of appearance.

Geyve Quince received high values in taste analysis (7-8 out of 10) due to its juicy and hard fruit structure and the balance in the sugar-acid ratio in its taste. The suffocating fruit structure encountered in other quince varieties is not seen in Geyve Quince, and its juicy structure facilitates eating and increases consumer demand.

Quince trees in Geyve district give quality and regular products for 40-60 years. Geyve Plain; It extends along a line of 20 km, starting from Alifuatpaşa village in Geyve District and staying in the east of the Sakarya river until the Bayat village in the north-south direction, and has fertile, low inclination, flat and deep soils, all irrigated from the Sakarya river, compared to the average of Turkey. In the plain, which provides ideal conditions for Geyve Quince with its microclimate feature exposed to the winds of the region called Geyve Strait, the annual average temperature varies between 4.6 °C and 22.6 °C, and the average precipitation varies between 30 mm and 97 mm. Annual chilling time in Geyve region is over 1900 hours.

Geyve land located in the Sakarya river basin generally consists of alluvial fertile soils. The salt and lime content is low and the soil reaction class (pH) is slightly alkaline. The soil structure has a clay loam texture and is rich in organic matter. Its texture is fine-grained, and its texture is medium. There is no drainage problem. Water holding capacity is at normal level. The size of the soil pieces forming the soil is sufficient and the bonding rate of these pieces is good. The amount of Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium that can be taken is at the ideal level for the nutritional needs of Geyve Quince fruit.

There are three types of quince grown in Geyve district of Sakarya province. These; There are Esme, Bread and Lemon varieties, and these three varieties are known and famous as Geyve Quince. The Esme variety and its unnamed different types of mutants and a small amount of Bread and Lemon quinces are grown in the region.

Fruit characteristics:

• Species/genus/family: Geyve Quince; Quince (Cydoniavulgaris) is in the genus Cydonia of the Rosales family, Rosaceae family, Pomoideae subfamily.

• Flowering: Geyve Quince flowers are hermaphrodite (androgynous), consisting of 5 sepals, 5 petals, 15-20 stamens and 5-part female organs. It is self efficient. In Geyve ecological conditions, flowering takes place in the spring months from the last week of March to the middle of April.

• Leaves: The leaves are elliptical and hairy on the underside, slightly hairy on the top and smooth on the edges.

• Fruits: botanically, they are in the form of false fruit (the edible part is formed by the development of the flower base). The fruits are large, round and oval in shape, the ripe fruit is bright quince yellow, the flesh is delicious and juicy.

• Seed: There are 5 carpels in the middle of the fruit, and 2-14 seeds in each carpel, depending on the fertilization status.

• Harvest Time: October 1 - November 10 • Bud Burst: March 20 • Start of Flowering: March 28

• Full Flowering: April 5 • End of Flowering: April 9 • Time from full bloom to harvest (days): 178-219 • Flower Color: White, Pinkish white • Fruit Color: Bright yellow

Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Geyve Quince:

Criterion	Value
Fruit size (mm)	92,9 ± 13,6
Fruit diameter (mm)	87,3 ± 11,2
Fruit size(mm³)	89 ± 11,6
fruit weight (g)	392 ± 75,6
Fruit shape value (kg/cm³)	1,07 ± 0,08 (oval, yuvarlak)
Fruit firmness (kg/cm³)	6,7 ± 0,8
Water Soluble Dry Article (%)	13,8 ± 1,2
Titratable acidity (%)	0,027 ± 0,017

Production Method of Geyve Quince:

Although general quince production techniques are used in the production of Geyve Quince, the following points should be considered.

Setting up a Garden: They are planted in rectangular planting with 6x5 or 6x6 m spacings and distances. The spacing-distances to be given vary according to the soil type and growing system. It is recommended to plant the seedlings with planting pruning in mild climates between November and January, with the grafting site remaining on the soil. In colder regions, seedlings should be planted in February and March in order not to be affected by frost. Since most of the cultivated quince varieties are self-fertile, a closed quince garden can be established from a single variety. Geyve Quince gardens are closure type (single crop or non-mixed garden) gardens. Wind direction and planning are very important when establishing a garden. It is very important for quince to have air circulation and the wind to sweep the garden, to go between the rows in order to avoid frost.

Tillage: The most important point to be considered while cultivating the quince orchards is to avoid deep tillage. Quince roots are close to the surface and soil surface. If the plowing is made deep, the roots are cut too much and the trees are damaged. It is sufficient to plow one of the gardens in the spring and the other in the early summer. Only the over-sorted grasses are mown or a regular struggle is made with weed pesticides, especially under the trees. In semi-covered or temporary covered tillage, cultivation is carried out in spring and summer when it is appropriate to tillage in the garden. In autumn and winter, tillage is done once or not at all. Care should be taken when using weed pesticides, especially in young gardens, and tree trunks should be protected from the effects of the drug. Otherwise, the development of young trees will be adversely affected.

Irrigation: Irrigation is done in places where the summer is dry in the quince orchards. Irrigation is absolutely necessary for the trees to show a healthy development and to obtain regular and high quality fruit. During irrigation, excessive water and touching the trunk of the tree should be avoided. It is beneficial to install drip or mini-sprinkler systems as far as possible. Keel and furrow system irrigations should be avoided as much as possible. In places where there is no water, quince orchards can only be established in places with sufficient rainfall and well-distributed rainfall.

Fertilization: In order to make a balanced and regular fertilization in quince orchards, as in all orchards, soil and leaf analyzes must be done every three years. According to the results of the analyzes, the fertilizer need of the garden should be determined. The chemical fertilizers to be given should be applied within the crown projection of the trees, but never in contact with the trunk and roots. Macro elements that the plant needs more should be given almost every year and micro elements should be given according to the need. In addition, organic fertilization should be given importance according to the amount of organic matter in the soil and burnt animal manure should be given. Since the roots of the quince do not go deep, it has to take the nutrients from the soil of a certain thickness. Therefore, efforts should be made to keep this part of the soil rich in nutrients. It is very beneficial to give three to four tons of farm manure per acre every three or four years. It also requires good support with nitrogen fertilizers.

Pruning: In quince cultivation, pruning begins with the receipt of the sapling. In pruning, there are benefits (in terms of ease of application) in using Goble (Vase, Bowl) or modified variations of this shape, which is more close to the natural growth shape of the quince. The trunk is crowned low and in the following years, the crown is not allowed to rise further with the tips. However, cutting should not be done more than necessary. Because the fruits are formed at the tips of the shoots and if too many tips are taken, the tree may be completely fruitless. Therefore, if the crowning is done well at the beginning, there is no need for pruning in the following years.

Harvest (Derim): Geyve Quince is usually done in the second half of September or October. Harvesting should be done by hand and carefully in order to prolong the storage life of the fruit. In addition, it has a direct effect on the shortening of the storage life of the fruit in the late harvest of quince. For this reason, it is important to harvest on time and with the right method. The maturity of quince fruits is understood by the fact that the green color of the fruit skin starts to turn yellow and this pile is easily wiped in the pile varieties. Early harvested fruits are often dehydrated, tasteless and suffocating. Quinces are collected by hand. The fruit is separated from where it joins with the twig. Special care should be taken not to damage the fruits during picking. Although quince fruits appear to feel hard and therefore resistant to pressures, in reality this is not so. Fruit flesh is quickly damaged. Injured places turn black and begin to rot from there. For this reason, it is necessary to be very careful both in collecting and in the following handling. A time when the fruit is not moist is chosen for picking and is usually harvested on one tree at a time. Quince can be stored in cold storage for 4 – 6 months after skinning. The most suitable storage temperature is 1.5 degrees, and the best relative humidity is 75-80%. Quince should not be kept together with other fruits during storage. Their heavy odor can permeate other fruits and spoil their taste.

Geyve Quince and Marketing Communications

Those who see the fine line between the causality of sales and the causality of brand communication can easily overcome many problems in marketing. The next thing is to deepen in the market. If it is a geographically marked product, your sustainability will be at the top. Today, when food consumer behaviors are at the highest level; Geographically marked products, which have tradition and the ability to produce strategic concepts, are positively differentiated. One of the most concrete examples of this, Geyve Quince has opened/opens a field for itself with its local dynamics. As a local development model (Geyve Local Products Production Center) formed by the initiatives of Geyve Municipality, the Geyva brand is increasing its market depth day by day. Providing purchase guarantee for all local products, the Municipality also offers geographical indication Geyve Quince; It also produces Quince Jam, Quince Juice, Quince Coffee, Quince Tea, Quince Dried, Quince Dessert, Quince Vinegar, Quince Sour, Quince Marmalade, Quince Tarhana, Quince Delight, Quince Cologne.

Geyva, which creates its corporate identity with the Anatolian rug motif Eli Belinde motif, also refers to the Turkish design identity in this respect. Unlike our agriculture and food brands, which are under the intense influence of affinity/emulation culture in visual and verbal communication, Geyva is deepening its marketing communication day by day. Geyve, which is a Silk Road stop, is a candidate to be the pole star of Sakarya by using the experience culture activities and the sociology of nearby places in the future of these efforts. As long as he doesn't get caught up in the magical lying enthusiasm of the yellow stars that break the caravan.

Kemal CIFCI

Advertising and Brand Consultant

General Secretary of the Geographical Indications Association

25 November 2022 - Akpinar – Ankara

Source:

1- Geyve Quince Geographical Indication Registration Certificate

2- Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Development Quince Report - 2021

3- Geyve Municipality- Numan Short - 2022

4- Geyve District Director of Agriculture-Hüseyin Şaban -2022