At Anfaş Expo Center on the second day of the Growtech Fair, which is Turkey's largest agricultural fair, the 7th Plant Breeding Project Market (BIPP), hosted by Akdeniz University Antalya Technopark in collaboration with the Turkey Seed Growers Association (TÜRKTOB) and the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO), took place.

THE TECHNOPARK FORMS THE MOST CRUCIAL R&D ECOSYSTEM IN OUR REGION

Speaking at the opening of the Project Market, Dr. İbrahim Yavuz, General Manager of Antalya Technopark, stated, "Antalya Technopark forms the most important R&D ecosystem in our region with academic, entrepreneurial, and student companies in sectors such as tourism technology, agriculture, biotechnology, food, medical, health, electrical-electronics, defense industry, software, and information technology. Similarly, research and development activities on agricultural technologies that shape the sector, such as domestic seed studies, breeding activities, and smart farming applications, are also conducted at Antalya Technopark. Antalya is one of Turkey's most important agricultural cities. The Plant Breeding Project Market, which we organized for the 7th time this year under the auspices of Akdeniz University Antalya Technopark, is a project that we attach importance to for our Antalya Technopark."

THE ONLY MARKET IN THE FIELD OF PLANT BREEDING

Highlighting the fact that the 7th Plant Breeding Project Market is the only project market in the field of plant breeding, Dr. İbrahim Yavuz, General Manager of Antalya Technopark, stated, "The discussions, project presentations, and panels organized at the Plant Breeding Project Market are extremely valuable for the companies, entrepreneurs, and sector representatives attending the fair, as they provide new opportunities. At the Plant Breeding Project Market, project owners will have the opportunity to showcase their agricultural products to the companies participating in the fair, evaluate market demands in the field of seed breeding, and establish long-term agreements with the companies they meet." Following the opening speeches, plaques were presented to the contributing institutions by Dr. İbrahim Yavuz, General Manager of Antalya Technopark.

A PANEL WAS HELD ON THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT IN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES

Following the opening speeches, a panel titled "The Role of Public Support in Sustainable Agricultural Technologies" was organized. Moderated by Dr. İbrahim Yavuz, General Manager of Antalya Technopark, the panel discussed the importance of sustainable agriculture and the role of public support in agricultural technologies. Representatives from various institutions delivered speeches and addressed participants' questions during the panel.

After the panel discussion, Dr. İbrahim Yavuz, along with jury members from the agricultural sector, examined projects in the field of plant breeding and provided evaluations on the projects.

THE AWARDS OF THE PLANT BREEDING PROJECT MARKET HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO THEIR RECIPIENTS

The first-place winner received a cash prize of 20,000 TL, the second-place winner received 15,000 TL, the third-place winner received 10,000 TL, and an additional cash prize of 5,000 TL was awarded to one project as an honorable mention.

The awards for the Plant Breeding Project Market were distributed as follows:

First Prize

• Project Title: "Utilization of Polyploidy and Androgenesis Techniques in Seedless Hybrid Bell Pepper Breeding"
• Recipient: Büşra Yapıcı - Petaktar Seed Ind. Trade Co. Ltd.

Second Prize

• Project Title: "Development of Next-Generation Anti-Pathogenic Plant Breeding Materials with Orange Peel-Enriched Tissue-Free Surfaces"
• Recipient: Çağlar Sivri - Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences

Third Prize

• Project Title: "Development of Hybrid Pink Tomato Varieties Resistant to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) and Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) with High Iron Uptake and Retranslocation Efficiency using Genetic Biofortification and Marker-Assisted Introgression Method"
• Recipient: Özgür Altundaş - Argeto Vegetable Seeds

Honorable Mention

• Project Title: "Development of New Citrus Rootstocks Resistant to Tristeza (Ctv) Virus Disease"
• Recipient: Şenay Kurt - West Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute