Our fourth-year Forest Engineering students carried out hands-on training at the Eğirdir Forest Nursery of the Isparta Regional Directorate of Forestry on 30.09.2026, as part of the Vocational Training in Enterprise (VTE) course. During the training, Soner OKTAY, Deputy Director of the Eğirdir Forest Nursery, and Keziban BURDUR, Nursery Chief, informed the students about the nursery’s production areas, the species grown, production planning, and annual seedling production targets. The students then visited the seed storage facility, cold storage rooms, and production areas, where they examined the processes of extracting seeds from cones, separating seed wings, storing seeds, and preparing them for sowing. Information was also given on soil preparation, forming seedbeds, maintenance, root pruning, and the purposes of the tools and machinery used in lifting seedlings.
During the inspections in the production areas, the cultivation techniques for coniferous and broadleaf species, seedling ages, and transplanting and potting operations were discussed. In addition, the points to be considered when preparing lifted seedlings before sending them to planting sites, as well as when packing them in burlap, storing them, and transporting them, were demonstrated. In this way, our students had the opportunity to examine the entire production process on site, from seed preparation to seedling cultivation and dispatch to the field, and to reinforce what they learned in class through practice. We thank the staff of the Eğirdir Forest Nursery for their contributions to the realization of the program.
