Acta Horticulturae, vol.1399, no.1, pp.1-7, 2024 (Scopus)
Citrus fruits are one of the most important fruit groups in the world. Citrus growing areas of the world are located between the equator and 40°N and 40°S latitudes, mainly in tropical, semi-tropical and subtropical regions. Historians believe that citrus fruits have been cultivated in Turkey since ancient times. Turkey ranks among the top citrus producing countries in the world. The citrus areas of Turkey are located in the northern hemisphere of this citrus belt. Thanks to the subtropical climatic conditions, the quality of citrus fruits in Turkey is quite high. However, citrus plants are sometimes damaged by frost. Almost 99% of citrus fruits in Turkey are grown in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions, where the climate is relatively milder. Wind machines are often used in the regions with a high risk of frost. On the other hand, other abiotic (heat waves, floods, late spring frosts, etc.) and biotic factors (diseases and pests) affect citrus cultivation and sometimes cause significant decreases in fruit yield and quality. In 2020, Turkey ranked among the top three citrus producing countries in the Mediterranean basin and ranked eighth in the world by meeting approximately 2.74% of the 158,490,986 t of citrus fruits produced worldwide. However, Turkey has become the fourth in the world in table citrus exports in 2020 with the export of 1,804,631 t of citrus.