​

Increasing World population and consequently increasing food need cause intensive chemical and organic material usage which causes ecosystem degradation. Providing required nutrients for efficient and sustainable production by not causing pollution to the soils is essential. Agricultural production can only be increased by the prevention and improvement of soil productivity. As product yield increases, plants absorb more nutrients from the soils and nutrient balance of the soil and quantity/intensity rate of each nutrient deteriorate. This can only be adjusted by detailed soil-plant analysis and fertilizing programs appropriate for theses analysis. Besides fertilizing, mineral and organic soil regulators must be used in order to reclaim the acidity, salinity or inadequate water retention, ventilation in the soil.

In this department, research activities, aimed at the determination and removal of nutrient deficiencies and characteristics of the soils which restrain the production and increment of agricultural production, are carried out.  The results of the researches and soil-plant analysis are presented to farmers' services.

Research Subjects:

 - Determination of the nutrient requirements of agricultural products and providing appropriate fertilizer usage

 - Plant nutrient management by the utilization of soil-plant-climate data

 - Development of fertilizer materials by the utilization of domestic organic and inorganic sources

 - Determination of the utilization of wastes and residuals in agriculture

 - Determination  and improvement of physical, chemical and biological decay of the soil

 - Determination of the effects of excessive and inaccurate fertilizer usage and potential toxic elements from various sources on soil pollution and plant development

 - Application and development of alternative agricultural systems (precision agriculture, integrated agriculture, organic agriculture, soilless agriculture etc.)

 - Performing researches concerning soil  and land usage

 - Composition of soil database by determining the characteristics of the region soils and mapping