Karabağlar Plateau Hosts Heirloom Seed and Melon Harvest

September 25, 2026 · muglagazetesi.com.tr

Local plateau melons grown with traditional rain-fed farming methods and heirloom vegetables supported by grants were harvested in Muğla's Menteşe district.

A comprehensive harvest event was held on the Karabağlar Plateau in Muğla's Menteşe district to protect local agricultural products. Muğla Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Seyfettin Baydar, branch managers, and technical personnel attended the event. Heirloom vegetables and local plateau melons unique to the region were harvested from the fields of producers Mehmet Yıldız and Halise Dural. Production culture continues to be passed down through generations in the plateau, which is notable for its geomorphological structure and traditional drainage channels called 'irim'.

Plateau melon production is ongoing on approximately 400 decares of land in Karabağlar Plateau and the neighborhoods of Düğerek, Ortaköy, and Orhaniye. Planted in May after the soil has warmed, the melons are grown entirely under natural conditions without any irrigation. After being hoed twice and having their bases mounded, the harvested products reach a weight of 3-4 kilograms. Local varieties such as Paris, Pıtraklı, and Hırsız Almaz can be preserved through the winter by sealing their stems and hanging them.

Kırkağaç melon seeds were delivered to producers in cooperation with the Muğla Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and TAGEM Aegean Agricultural Research Institute. Thanks to the seeds provided with a 75% grant from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, melons weighing 7-8 kilograms were cultivated. The indigenous Kırkağaç type, whose genetic structure has been preserved since 1963, shows high adaptability to drought and different soil structures. Producers gain the advantage of storing these seeds by multiplying them.

Through TAKE projects coordinated by the General Directorate of Plant Production, 5,560,000 seedlings were distributed using 8,255,000 TL in funding from 2021 to 2025. In 2026, 500,000 seedlings and 40 kilograms of seeds were provided to 500 producers with a budget of 2,177,000 TL. The distributed materials included 200,000 tomato, 210,000 pepper, and 90,000 eggplant seedlings, along with melon, okra, and lettuce seeds.

Thanks to heirloom seed projects, continuous vegetable production can be carried out in open fields for approximately 9 months at different altitudes in Muğla. While aiming for reduced use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the unique aroma of the produced vegetables generates high demand in the market. The active role of women farmers in local seed production processes significantly strengthens rural women's employment. The Provincial Directorate aims to carry local biodiversity into the future with a consciousness of sustainable environment and agriculture.

To meet the roughage needs of livestock activities in the region, forage crop production was also supported in the 2026 production season. With a 75% grant from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 100 producers were provided with silage corn seeds to be planted on 1,000 decares of land. While drip irrigation methods are encouraged in these areas, sorghum seeds were distributed to 94 producers for 2,000 decares of land, aiming to reduce feed costs and increase domestic production.

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