Bursa Şeftalisi

Bursa Şeftalisi is a peach (Prunus persica L.) grown in specified districts and villages of Bursa province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The European Commission entered it in the register of protected designations of origin on 15 July 2024, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1947, published in Official Journal L 2024/1947. The application was submitted by S.S. Bursa Bölgesi Köy Kalkınma ve Diğer Tarımsal Amaçlı Kooperatif Birliği. No statement of opposition was received following publication of the Single Document in OJ C/2024/1346 on 6 February 2024.

The PDO covers two specific varieties: J.H. Hale and Glohaven. Both are long-established in Bursa — Ottoman archive records from 1848 and 1881 document the fame of Bursa peaches, and J.H. Hale has been widely cultivated in Bursa since 1934. The specification states that in the past, Bursa was the only peach-exporting province in Turkey, and that the reputation of Bursa Şeftalisi extends to international publications. The product is described as inseparable from Bursa's agricultural identity.

What makes it distinct

Both J.H. Hale and Glohaven varieties are loose-stoned (freestone) peaches with yellow flesh and yellow skin blushed with red. The specification documents that the same varieties grown in other Turkish provinces differ measurably from Bursa Şeftalisi in size, colour, sweetness, juiciness and seed-flesh separation — differences attributed to Bursa's distinctive soil and climate conditions.

The key soil factor is alluvial content: alluvial soils represent 11.6% of Bursa province, compared to 6.51% in Çanakkale — the province with the most comparable harvest season and varieties. Bursa's alluvial soil is described as deep, rapidly warming, with a strainer-to-clayey-sandy-pebbly composition and pH of 6–7, optimal for peach cultivation. High nitrogen content in the soil supports tree growth and directly affects fruit size and colour.

The key climatic factor is wind. The specification identifies wind speed as a critical quality determinant: speeds above 10 mph cause flower drop, frost damage intensification, fruit deformation and disease spread. Uludağ Mountain shields the Bursa plain, maintaining wind speeds below 10 mph — lower than in all other major Turkish peach-producing provinces. The combination of coast, lake and mountain environments in the production zone creates optimal conditions for the Northeast, Southeast and East-Northeast winds that characterise Bursa's high-quality production areas.

The local "fish bone" pruning method and traditional use of erekeme (non-grafted wild peach) as a pollinator for J.H. Hale are additional human factors with directly documented effects on fruit quality and seed separation.

Physical and chemical properties

The following values are taken directly from the PDO specification and Single Document, given separately per variety:

J.H. Hale:

• Skin colour (L\ a\ b\): L 60–70, a 20–30, b 40–50

• Flesh colour (L\ a\ b\): L 70–80, a 10–20, b 55–60

• Firmness: 5.00–7.00 kg/cm²

• Fruits per kg: 3.00–3.50

• Brix (%): 11.00–14.00

• pH: 3.50–3.65

Glohaven:

• Skin colour (L\ a\ b\): L 45–65, a 30–40, b 25–45

• Flesh colour (L\ a\ b\): L 75–80, a 14.50–20.50, b 55–65

• Firmness: 0.80–2.50 kg/cm²

• Fruits per kg: 3.50–4.50

• Brix (%): 10.00–13.00

• pH: 3.50–3.70

J.H. Hale is firmer and higher in Brix; Glohaven is softer with a slightly wider pH range. Both are loose-stoned with yellow flesh.

Production zone

The production area covers specified villages across nine districts of Bursa province: Gürsu, İnegöl, İznik (Boyalıca village only), Kestel, Nilüfer, Orhangazi, Osmangazi, Yenişehir, and Yıldırım. The full village list is defined in the specification and Single Document. All steps from planting to harvest must take place within this defined area.

Climate

Bursa has a transitional climate combining characteristics of the Mediterranean and Black Sea climates, creating a distinctive climate corridor. Annual average temperature is 14.6°C; average relative humidity is 68.4%; average annual rainfall is 707.5 mm. The specification identifies pre-harvest precipitation as particularly important for seed formation and the adhesion of the stone to the flesh.

Production method

Plantation: Maximum density is 450 trees per hectare. Orchards must be located away from any source that could compromise fruit quality.

Pollination: J.H. Hale is not self-fertile and requires cross-pollination. The traditional method uses erekeme — a local non-grafted peach tree — planted among J.H. Hale rows at a rate of ten erekeme per hectare. This practice is mandatory and was required to be in place by 31 December 2023. Glohaven does not require this provision.

Pruning: Annual pruning during the November–April dormant period, using the locally named "fish bone" method — removing dried, damaged and diseased branches to maximise light penetration and fruit sun exposure. Pruned branches must be destroyed to prevent disease spread.

Fruit thinning: Manual thinning from May to June, removing excess fruits to balance weight distribution across branches and maintain the tree's natural shape. The specification links hand thinning directly to consistent medium-sized fruit formation.

Fertilisation: Based on soil analysis conducted at least every two years per operator. Organic fertilisation (manure or compost) is mandatory — minimum 10 tonnes per hectare per year. Mineral NPK fertilisation supplements organic inputs. Recommended quantities: nitrogen 0.8 kg/tree, phosphorus 0.8 kg/tree, potassium 0.4 kg/tree, magnesium 0.06 kg/tree. Nitrogen is split into at least two annual applications. Herbicide use is permanently banned from 31 December 2023.

Irrigation: Drip irrigation only; submersion irrigation is forbidden. Irrigation is permitted according to crop need, with best practice timing between June and September. Overwatering is prohibited as it causes fruit fragility.

Harvest: Glohaven is harvested July–August; J.H. Hale in August–September. Harvest timing is determined by the onset of skin colouration and fruit hardness. All harvest must occur before 11:00 a.m. Fruit that has contacted the soil must be rejected. Harvesters must wear gloves or use hand-cleaning facilities at each plot.

Sorting and packaging: Visual sorting is carried out after harvest. Fruit must be sorted in the production area or at cooperative premises in a dedicated clean area. Bursa Şeftalisi is packed in cardboard or wooden trays or boxes in a single layer, with individual peaches separated by protective material. All plastic packaging is banned. Sorted fruit is stored at +0.5°C to +10°C if not delivered directly to market.

Control and certification

The competent control authority named in the Register Extract is the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Food and Control (Gıda ve Kontrol Genel Müdürlüğü), Eskişehir Yolu 9. Km., Lodumlu/Ankara. The tasting committee is the Bursa Central Research Institute of Food and Feed Control (bursagida@tarim.gov.tr; +90 224 246 47 20). Certification is delivered to S.S. Bursa Tarım Kooperatifleri Merkez Birliği.

All operators (producers, warehousemen, packers, traders) must register with the PDO producer group before any production, storage, packaging or handling activity. Registration requires plot maps, storage and packaging facility identification, and a signed commitment to the Code of Practice. Operators maintain spraying, fertilisation and soil management registers throughout the season, retained for at least one year post-harvest. A full batch traceability system links each batch from producer plot to final consumer.

Labels must bear 'Bursa Şeftalisi' in at least the same font size as any other text on the label, with 'Protected Designation of Origin' stated alongside the name and a lot number. The official EU PDO logo and the Bursa Şeftalisi product logo must both appear on all packaging.