40 years old Organic Farm with Natural Green Fertilization in Gastouni, Ilia. With a deep ecological awareness, the owners of the Kotakis Farm cultivate citrus trees, vineyards, and olive groves using natural green fertilization methods.
Citrusgenetics is cooperative plant biotech lab on research & development of low-cost ecological prototypes regarding health, energy and agricultural challenges, via molecular pharming under a societal consensus.
In parallel, the group works on key-unsolved problems of the astrobiology sector and produces innovative agri-food products, via organic farming and green cyclic economy approaches. Besides our entrepreneurial portfolio, molecular diagnostics tools & services are provided.
Last but not least , one of our primary focuses is tree breeding towards
a. hardening, and
b. novel cultivars characterisation, due to climatic change and pathogens burst. The enterprise supports fair-trade and a libertarian spirit, under a communal concept.
Organic Quality Products — Environmentally Friendly Cultivation
High-quality organic products, produced with environmentally friendly methods and completely free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides, are grown at Kotakis Farm, located in the wider Gastouni region of Ilia.
With a deep ecological awareness, the owners of the farm cultivate 150 acres (approximately 37 hectares) of land, which includes:
- 51 acres of oranges (Navalina and Valencia varieties)
- 47 acres of mandarins (Clementines, Mineola, and Fortuna)
- 5 acres of lemons
- 4 acres of kiwis
- 26 acres of vineyards
- 10 acres of olive trees
- 7 acres of rotational crops such as alfalfa, various vegetables, and corn
The estates belong to the Kotakis family and are cultivated by Kyriakos Kotakis, his wife Ioanna, and their two children, Dimitra and Christos.
Kyriakos Kotakis, an agronomist with extensive experience in cultivation and one of the earliest organic farmers in the region of Ilia, has practiced organic farming for more than ten years. As Mr. Kotakis explains, the family’s fields have been cultivated organically since 80s-90s, with their main goal being the production of high-quality products without the use of pesticides or any chemical interventions.
Christos Kotakis is born in 1982 (Greece). He is a post-doctoral researcher in biology, towards a research habilitation degree. Besides science, he works as organic farmer, innovator, inventor and entrepreneur in the biotech field. He built a home institution under the name ‘Citrusgenetics Cooperative Plant Biotech Laboratory’ . Christos supports social ecology movement and humanitarian ethos.
Fertilization of the citrus groves is achieved by spreading organic compost across the fields at the beginning of autumn, followed by mixed sowing of vetch and oats after the first autumn rains.
In mid-spring, the vetch and oat plants are cut with a mower, forming a layer of natural green fertilization for the trees. This intercropping system significantly reduces the growth of unwanted weeds while providing excellent soil nutrition. The “green manure” produced by the plants, combined with the nutrients from the compost, completely eliminates the need for additional fertilizers.
This combination stimulates and multiplies soil microorganisms, creating a living, healthy, and fertile soil ecosystem. The farm’s owners are certified organic producers and are regularly inspected by the DIO Certification Organization (ΔΗΩ) for compliance with organic farming standards.