The management and membership of the Associated International Group of Nurseries (AIGN®) are pleased to announce the induction of a new member into the association, Potamia Fruit Breeding R&D Ltd. of Eskisehir, Turkey.
The breeding program at Potamia.
The company is a partnership between Dr. Yasemin Evrenosoğlu and the S.S. Ödemis Bademli Nursery and Agricultural Cooperative. Their research is focused on the development of rootstocks and new fruit varieties with superior characteristics. With the addition of Potamia, AIGN is now twelve members strong, holding a global presence throughout the major tree-fruit growing regions.
Potamia Fruit Breeding R&D will be represented on AIGN’s board of directors by Dr Yasemin Evrenosoğlu, a professor at Eskisehir Osmangazi University. In addition to her work in academia, Dr. Evrenosoğlu serves as the general manager of Potamia. Currently, her team is working on two national projects involving the crossbreeding of late-ripening Japanese Plums and identifying commercial pear varieties with resistance to fireblight and pear psylla.
Dr Yasemin Evrenosoğlu
Representatives of the AIGN management team first traveled to Turkey to visit Potamia and Bademli Cooperative’s facilities in 2021, where they were instantly impressed by their professionalism and programs. After two years of negotiation, the application for membership was formally presented to AIGN’s board during the 2023 Annual Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, with final approval reaching in December.
Hurşit Nallı, president of S.S. Ödemis Bademli Cooperative, and Dr Evrenosoğlu expressed their pleasure at the announcement: “Our decision to become a member of the Associated International Group of Nurseries network is a reflection of our goal of becoming a global player in fruit tree production and breeding studies. Thanks to our cooperation with AIGN, we will strengthen international collaborations by following the latest developments in the sector and benefiting from information sharing from various geographies.”
Dr Gavin Porter, CEO of AIGN, extended a warm welcome to the newest member, stating, “The opportunity to work with this prestigious company in the territory of Turkey provides AIGN and Potamia with extended commercial opportunities neither has had before, further helping fruit growers produce the latest proprietary fruit varieties for consumers and continuing global business competitiveness.”
For more information:
Lynnell Brandt
AIGN
Email: [email protected]