Research and Academic Output
Research projects, scientific publications, intellectual property outputs and graduate programmes in the field of hazelnut.
| 82scientific publications | 30publications indexed in SCI | 18research projects | 3intellectual property outputs |
Scientific publication output
Publication output on hazelnut has risen markedly since the specialization decision. While there was a single publication in 2020, from 2022 onwards an average of twenty publications a year has been reached.
| Year | Number of publications |
|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2022 | 16 |
| 2023 | 21 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 | 3 (year to date) |
| Index and type | Count | Description |
|---|
| SCI | 30 | Articles published in journals indexed in international citation indexes |
| TR Dizin and national | 44 | Articles published in national peer-reviewed journals |
| ESCI | 2 | Emerging Sources Citation Index |
| Conference papers | 4 | Papers presented at national and international scientific meetings |
Spread across disciplines
Hazelnut research at our University has not been confined to a single faculty; it has spread across the sciences, engineering, health and social sciences. The headings below are selected examples from our publication list.
| Field | Example study |
|---|
| Food science and chemistry | Obtaining silver nanoparticles from roasted hazelnut shell waste by sustainable green synthesis |
| Agriculture and plant protection | Determining the fruit damage caused by the brown marmorated stink bug in hazelnut orchards in Giresun province |
| Machinery and energy | Development of a microwave heating system for hazelnut roasting; concrete with hazelnut shell additive |
| Artificial intelligence and data science | Forecasting the hazelnut crop of Giresun province with Pi-Sigma artificial neural networks |
| Health sciences | The effects of hazelnut extracts on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer; the relationship between low back, shoulder and elbow pain in hazelnut workers and harvesting methods |
| Economics and business | Türkiye’s competitive position in global hazelnut trade; the importance of geographically indicated products in city branding |
| History and culture | “The Hazelnut Bank: A 90-Year Aspiration” |
Coordination Office research projects
The Hazelnut Specialization Coordination Office supports projects coded FİK under its own call. Projects are selected in line with the priority areas determined by the Coordination Board.
| Project code | Project title | Status |
|---|
| FİK-2024-01 | Investigating the Effect of Early Harvest on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Hazelnut | Ongoing |
| FİK-2024-02 | Developing New Value-Added Hazelnut Products and Investigating the Health Effects of Hazelnut | Ongoing |
| FİK-2025-01 | Synthesis of New Silver Nanoparticles from Hazelnut Skin and Their Use as a Textile Dye | Ongoing |
| FİK-2025-02 | Project for Developing and Promoting Hazelnut Pastry Products | Completed |
| FİK-2025-03 | Rapid Diagnosis of Pathogenic Pseudomonas spp. Strains Causing Disease in Hazelnut | Ongoing |
| FİK-2025-04 | Molecular Characterisation of Entomopathogenic Nematodes in Eastern Black Sea Hazelnut Production Areas | Ongoing |
| FİK-2025-05 | The Effect of Different Proportions of Hazelnut Skin on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Meatballs | Completed |
| FİK-2025-06 | Measuring Hazelnut Quality (Yield) with Deep Learning Methods | Completed |
Work under the Scientific Research Projects programme
Hazelnut has also been defined as a priority area under our University’s Scientific Research Projects programme. The projects below have been carried out within this scope.
| # | Project title |
|---|
| 1 | Biomethane Production from Hazelnut By-Products by Anaerobic Fermentation and Modelling of the Process with Artificial Intelligence |
| 2 | Effective Detection of Hazelnut Defects with X-Ray and Artificial Intelligence |
| 3 | The Effects of Using Hazelnut Shell Additive Concrete in Shell Elements on Mechanical Parameters |
| 4 | Investigation of Thermal Parameters in Hazelnut Processing with a Microwave Oven |
| 5 | Using Hazelnut Shell Waste in the Production of Iron-Coated Activated Carbon |
| 6 | Colour and Antioxidant Properties of Hazelnut Skin Waste Obtained from Hazelnuts Roasted to Different Levels |
| 7 | Determining the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Population in Hazelnut Orchards in Giresun Province |
| 8 | The Effect of Plant Extracts on Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Esterase Enzymes |
| 9 | The Effect of Hazelnut Consumption on Breast Milk in Postpartum Women with Preterm Infants |
| 10 | Comparison of Somatic Embryogenesis Mechanisms in Model Plants |
Determined by decision No. 2025/07 of the Scientific Research Projects Commission dated 10 October 2025, the only heading in the 2026 Priority Areas list is “Hazelnut Specialization”.
Applications under evaluation
Eight applications to the 2026 project call are being evaluated by the Coordination Board. The topics span a wide field, from artificial intelligence and image processing to biotechnology, and from plant protection to geographic information systems.
| # | Application topic |
|---|
| 1 | Integrated biohydrogen–biomethane and organic fertiliser production potential of hazelnut by-products |
| 2 | Mapping soil organic carbon and productivity indicators in hazelnut orchards with geographic information systems (the Keşap case) |
| 3 | Damage caused by the brown marmorated stink bug in different hazelnut varieties and its effect on photosynthetic performance |
| 4 | Development of bacterial cellulose biocomposites with niacinamide and hazelnut waste extracts |
| 5 | Development and effectiveness analysis of the “Virtual Hazelnut Grove” virtual reality application |
| 6 | Multi-angle X-ray and RGB-supported hybrid three-dimensional hazelnut analysis and morphological measurement system |
| 7 | Development of a remote sensing-based disease and pest risk analysis and early warning system |
| 8 | Comparative classification performance of deep learning and machine learning approaches on hazelnut images |
The evaluation process is ongoing; the current status can be followed on the Coordination Office page .
Intellectual property and digital products
| Type | Output | Year |
|---|
| Patent | Antibacterial and biocompatible dye obtained from hazelnut waste by green synthesis | 2026 |
| Utility model | Tunnel-Type Microwave Hazelnut Roasting Machine (application no. 2023/017583) | 2025 |
| Mobile application | Digital Hazelnut Expert — App Store and Google Play | 2023 |
Graduate and associate degree programmes
| Programme | Unit |
|---|
| Interdisciplinary Master’s Programme with Thesis in Hazelnut and Hazelnut Products | Institute of Science and Technology — approved by the Senate and the Council of Higher Education in 2023; produced its first graduate in 2025 |
| Hazelnut Expertise Programme | Bulancak Kadir Karabaş School of Applied Sciences and the Vocational School of Technical Sciences |
| Unit | Contribution |
|---|
| Central Research Laboratory (GRÜMLAB) | Aflatoxin and fatty acid analyses on hazelnuts |
| Tissue Culture Laboratory | Established for certified sapling production; began work with a target of thirty thousand saplings a year |
| Hazelnut Processing Facility | The facility on the Güre Campus came into operation with hands-on training in 2026; sorting, roasting and packaging lines are installed |
The Hazelnut Processing Facility on the Güre Campus. For all images of the facility, see the Coordination Office’s Infrastructure and Physical Facilities page .
International partnerships
Research has been carried beyond national borders. The project “Improving the sustainability of hazelnut production by reducing plant health risks”, supported by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia, is the first internationally funded study within the scope of specialization. Joint work continues with the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Centre, the FAO Representation in Türkiye, the Eastern Black Sea Development Agency and the National Hazelnut Council.
