Permaculture in Turkey

Hi,

I have a student* whose family has a small farm in Turkey (Zone 9, on Iznik Golu, near Orhangazi) and he is considering trying out a small permaculture orchard there. I'm currently on the property with him and some other people and we're trying to figure out the best nitrogen fixers that would compliment fruit trees (e.g. apple, pear, kaki, peach, walnut). If anyone has any advice regarding the following nitrogen fixers - or any advice at all - for a zone 9, Mediterranean type climate, we'd be grateful to hear of it.
The climate here is roughly zone 9, with avg. winter lows between 3-5° centigrade and avg. summer highs between 28-31° centigrade. Annual precipitation is approx. 775 mm and, as the land is flat and right next to a big lake (the Iznik Golu) the water table is probably only 2 - 3 meters below the soil's surface, but the upper layers of soil can get rather dry in the summer.

Italian alder

Eastern alder

Common alder

Mesquite - Specific question: Some sites say that the roots can hold fungus or root rot that can spread to fruit trees. Does anyone think mesquite is a bad idea around fruit trees?

New Mexico locust (robinia neomexicana)
Thanks,
Hugh

*By the way, I am a novice when it comes to permaculture and don't teach it. This is a student who just graduated from the high school where I teach.

I think the alder may do well but may take over if not controlled over time. You may want to consider vicia cracca its a leguminous vine but it needs light but can be grown in a somewhat dense orchard. It must not grow up the trees or even to close to them I cut around the trees about 2 feet. Good fodder when fresh but ripe seeds are not good for livestock. It competes very well with grass and after cutting dense patches thous patches are free of weeds (here anyway) and are ready for a crop ofwhatever, actually the plant has a pytotoxin that kills other plants so some crops will do better than others after vicia c. Or Ebol.

Thanks, Jeff. I will be in touch with him and let you know if he tried any of those and how they work.
Hugh