
Sezai Ercisli
Atatürk University, Turkey
Exploitation of wild edible fruit in the Balkan Peninsula: A historical journey
Sezai Ercisli graduated from Atatürk University, Faculty of Agriculture in 1989 as the best student in the faculty. He completed his PhD on rosehip breeding and biotechnology in 1996. He was a visiting professor at the University of Nebraska from 1997 to 1998. He conducted scientific studies on plant biotechnology in many laboratories in different countries of the world. Sezai Ercisli served as Vice Rector of Atatürk University from 2016-2020. Since 2018, he has chaired the ISHS Apricot Working Group and is the country representative of the European Fruit Producers Association (EUFRIN). He is editor-in-chief of the Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry |
The Balkan Peninsula has been home to many different cultures throughout history. Agriculture, especially horticulture plants including fruits, vegetables, flowers, aromatic and medicinal plants, were the most important part of the life of the Balkan peoples. Horticulture presents also an important cultural heritage in the Balkan countries, which knowledge has been transferred from generation to generation. The Balkan countries have a great richness on wild edible fruits which are used for various purposes, including food, ornamental, aesthetic, and medicinal. Detailed information on the properties of wild edible fruits in the Balkan Peninsula could lead to a better understanding of their beneficial effects, including their use in functional foods and as ingredients in dietary supplements or in medicinal products. |