1. **Pear Cultivation: Insights and Economic Importance** 2. **Pear cultivation spans temperate regions globally, with C

1. ZİRAAT FAKÜLTESİ Pear Growing EBAH603, Advances in Stone and Pome Fruit Species Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Dilek SOYSAL 1

2. Pear Growing Pear is a type of fruit spread in temperate climatic regions of the • world. It generally likes temperate regions and sunny areas. It is also drought resistant. Therefore, it is spread over a wide area on Earth. The place of the pear in the plant world is shown below: Team: Rosales • Subfamily: Rosaceae • Family: Pomoideae • Genus: Pyrus • There are about 20 species of the genus Pyrus on Earth. They are found natively in Asia, Europe and North America. 2

3. According to Vavilov, one of the researchers working on the homeland of • plants, there are three gene centers (homeland) for pears on Earth. Brief information about these is given below.China Gene CenterThis center covers China, Manchuria, Japan, the Amur Valley and Korea. Pyrus serotina, P. uss iriens is, P. betulaefolia, P. calleryana and P. variolosa can be given as important species of this gene center. P. serotina was used to obtain some cultivars. P. ussuriensis is very resistant to pear fire blight disease (Erwinia amylovora) and very resistant to cold. P. calleryana is resistant to cold, heat and fire blight. P. betulaefolia, which can be propagated by cuttings, and P. calleryana, which gives homogeneous seedling material, may be important as rootstock. Young plants of both species develop rapidly. 3

4. Economic Importance of Pear Pear is the most produced type after apple among temperate climate fruit species. Its fruits are generally valued for table use. However, liqueur, vinegar, juice, fruit salad, jam and jelly can also be made from pears. It is also used in making desserts, cakes and pastries. Pears that are immature or have hard flesh can also be consumed by cooking (sauce, puree). Pear can be canned in water, sugary syrup or its own natural juice. All pears are edible by serving with good quality cheese and walnuts. Pears can also be evaluated by drying. Dried pear contains protein, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber. 4

5. World Pear Production Pear is grown almost everywhere in the world where apple culture is made. However, since pears are less resistant to cold than cultivated apples, their growing area can only reach 55th latitude in the northern hemisphere. Thus, it remains below the apple's upper growing limit in the northern hemisphere. On the other hand, since it is more tolerant of heat and drought than apples, it can be grown in hot regions where apples do not grow. 5

6. Turkey Pear Production Pear cultivation is carried out in all regions and provinces of Turkey. However, some regions and provinces gained more importance than others. Turkey is generally among the top ten in world pear production. Since pear production in our country has been done for many years to meet local needs, most of the crop has been obtained from growing in scattered trees or mixed with other fruit species. Cultivation as scattered trees is very common in our country. This is due to the grafting of ahi horse and wild pear trees, which are self- grown in fields, vineyards, gardens and public lands in many regions of Anatolia, and transforming them into production. 6

7. • Although this type of production mostly covers local, summer varieties (such as Akça, Limon, Mustafa Bey and Bey pear in the Aegean Region), fall (such as Göksulu, Melon pear) and winter (Ankara pear) varieties are also included. Although some of these varieties are regionally spread and have commercial value, some of them do not have a significant commercial value as they are consumed in the region. 7