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Northern Türkiye’s Sinop province will release around 10,000 predator insects in May as officials step up efforts to protect chestnut trees from a destructive invasive pest.
Chestnut growing areas in Sinop continue to face pressure from the chestnut gall wasp, a pest that affects chestnut trees and threatens production in one of Türkiye’s important chestnut regions.
Officials say the province has 3,300 hectares of chestnut growing land, and the fight against the pest has continued since it was first detected in Sinop in 2021.
Speaking at a meeting on the pest in Sinop, Regional Forestry Director Ridvan Kalelioglu said authorities began work under the coordination of the General Directorate of Forestry soon after the insect appeared.
He said they first opened a Biological Control Laboratory within the regional directorate to support the campaign.
As part of that effort, officials plan to release about 10,000 Torymus sinensis insects in the wild in 2026.
The species acts as a natural predator against the chestnut gall wasp and plays a central role in the biological control strategy.
Kalelioglu said Sinop has already released 18,871 predator insects since 2022. He gave the yearly figures as 2,183 in 2022, 3,563 in 2023, 4,505 in 2024, and 8,620 in 2025.
“In our province, we have 3,300 hectares of chestnut areas. We carry out releases in these areas every year to fight the pest. In 2026, we are thinking of releasing around 10,000 predator insects. We will carry out the release in May,” he said.
The new insects were produced at the Biological Control Laboratory set up under the Sinop Regional Forestry Directorate.
The Sinop plan relies on biological control rather than direct chemical intervention.
In practice, that means officials use a natural enemy of the pest to reduce damage to chestnut trees.
Officials have used this strategy since the chestnut gall wasp first appeared there. Authorities presented both past work and future plans during the meeting held under the chairmanship of Sinop Governor Mustafa Ozarslan.
The meeting also included representatives from agricultural chambers, beekeeping associations, and village heads, who shared their requests and suggestions. After hearing those views, Ozarslan instructed relevant officials to take the necessary measures in the fight against the pest.
The release planned for May will continue Sinop’s effort to control the pest and reduce damage to chestnut trees.
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