Sultandağı Gılli Kirazı

Sultandağı Gılli Kirazı is a cherry variety belonging to the species Prunus avium L., cultivated within the geographical boundaries of the Sultandağı and Çay districts of Afyonkarahisar province. This product was officially registered as a geographical indication by the Türk Patent ve Marka Kurumu on 08.01.2021. Although cultivation in the region dates back to the 1940s, commercial cultivation in enclosed orchards became widespread from the 1980s onward.

Due to its distinctive color and flavor, the cherry is consumed fresh and is also used frozen or as a natural coloring agent in the food industry, making it one of the region’s key export products. Its unique characteristics are directly linked to the local climate and geographical conditions, including milder winters caused by the microclimate created by the Eber and Akşehir lakes, and summer temperatures that reduce water loss in the fruit during ripening.

Product Characteristics

Sultandağı Gılli Kirazı has a fruit flesh color ranging from deep red to black, and its stone separates easily from the flesh. The fruit is generally round in shape and has medium firmness. Its distinguishing physical and chemical properties are as follows:

• Fruit Flesh Color: Deep red to black.
• Fruit Flesh Weight: 6 to 7.5 grams.
• Fruit Diameter: 20 to 23 mm.
• Soluble Dry Matter Content: At least 20%.
• Fruit Cracking Rate: Maximum 3%.

The cherry blooms between the second half of April and the first week of May, in the region’s sandy-clayey and loamy soils. This early-yielding variety is typically harvested during the month of June.

Production Method

The cultivation and production of Sultandağı Gılli Kirazı follow specific stages and techniques:

• Seedling Procurement and Planting: An appropriate rootstock/variety combination is selected for the planting area, and certified seedlings are preferred. Planting is generally carried out in autumn (from late October, after leaf fall, until mid-April). Immediately after planting, seedlings must receive adequate water. Production is achieved through eye or whip grafting onto wild cherry or clonal rootstocks.

• Pruning: The “goblet” (round-shaped) training system is commonly applied to standard rootstocks, while the “pyramid” system is used for semi-dwarf varieties. The central leader system is preferred to enhance quality and yield. Pruning is delayed until periods of the winter when temperatures are not excessively low, and tools are disinfected between each tree.

• Soil Management, Irrigation and Fertilization: Soil is tilled in spring and autumn to improve aeration and control weeds. Drip irrigation is ideal to avoid excessive or insufficient watering. In other irrigation systems, care is taken to ensure water does not contact the root collar. Fertilization is carried out according to soil analysis results; composted manure is applied every two years, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in autumn, and nitrogen fertilizers in spring, after flowering, and during harvest periods.

• Plant Protection: Integrated pest management methods are applied. Disease and pest control is timed according to meteorological data when economic thresholds are exceeded. Biological control, attractant traps, and pheromones are effectively used to combat specific pests such as the cherry fruit fly.

• Harvesting: Cherries are harvested by hand, with stems attached, during June, once they have reached their characteristic color, size, flavor, and maturity. Harvested fruits are placed in containers of moderate size to prevent damage.

Geographical Boundary and Monitoring

The geographical boundary for the cultivation of the registered product, Sultandağı Gılli Kirazı, includes the districts of Sultandağı and Çay within Afyonkarahisar province.

A monitoring authority has been established to oversee compliance with the production method and the use of the geographical indication. This authority consists of at least three members, coordinated by the Sultandağı District Governorship and the Sultandağı District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, with one representative each from the Sultandağı District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the Çay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Sultandağı Agricultural Chamber.

Monitoring is conducted at least once annually; additional inspections may be carried out upon complaint or necessity. Inspections are documented in accordance with the Industrial Property Law and regularly submitted to the Türk Patent ve Marka Kurumu by the Sultandağı District Governorship. Any non-conformities identified during inspections and the necessary corrective measures are communicated to the relevant individuals or institutions.