Agronomy Department

Department is responsible for developing sustainable farming techniques for Central Anatolia and Transitional Areas.

 

VISION

1-      Protection and improvement of soil productivity (green-chemical fertilization, compost etc.)

2-      Agronomical solutions  to abiotic and biotic stresses (weed, disease, drought, cold etc.)

3-      Performance tests of developed varieties in different growing conditions (yield, seed, fertilizer trials and planting time etc.)

4-      Testing different cultivation systems suits the target area (rotation systems)

5-      Studies on conservation agriculture and low-input farming (reduced and zero tillage)

6-      Working on the potentials of  organic farming

 

HISTORY

Until 1984, Agronomy studies operated in Breeding Department. Agronomy became as a separate department in 1985. In 1991, department was divided subunits on the crop basis (cereal, edible grain legumes, meadow-rangeland and forage crops and industrial crops). Then these subunits lost their functionalities due to insufficient number of scientists.

AGRONOMY RESEARCHES AND CONTRIBUTION TO FARMING

1-      1926-1960: Planting into dry soil without waiting for rain or planting in spring time made a significant contribution. This method which no need investment produced %40-60 rise in wheat yield. .Supported by cold and winter resistant wheat and barley varieties, mean cereal yield reached from 80-100 kg/da to 180-200 kg/da through planting in dry soil.

2-      1960-1980: Development and growing of chemical fertilization, herbicide and machine industry were supported by agronomy researches and studies which increased in yield in this period. In this way yields were reached to 220-250 kg/da with inputs (fertilizes and herbicides). Comparing this yield increase with the costs of inputs, it can barely meet the cost. However, Its effects on other industries and total economy are welcomed.

3-      1981-1995: In this period, two major projects which were affected on Turkish farming carried out. One of them and above all was "Utilization of Fallow Areas", shortly NAD, the other was "Agricultural Research and extension Project", shortly TYUAP. Our department in these projects did a great number of studies on products that it can be cultivated on especially fallow fields. Our department gave voice to these projects in meetings with provincial directorate of agriculture and farmers. The spread of rotation system with these projects has benefit in our country. Because these rotation systems contained more frequent tillage, the expected benefits decreased. Whatever rotation systems has been always more useful and productive than fallow and single product systems. If farmers were marketing of products, it could be continued planting of different crops in fallow fields.

4-      1996-2012: After 1960, the soil structure was deteriorated because of plow and other tillage equipments and this is the main reason of serious wind and water erosions in central Anatolia, even these erosions threatened cities. In cities floods and cloud of dust has became very common events. Media has expressed these events as a desert dust. In 1998, direct sowing experiments were started in 3 crop rotation systems and continued for 10 years in research farm. Results are very promising. Direct sowing-chemical fallow practice has more productive than clean fallow, and it has been obtained increase of organic matter and water permeability in the Fallow-Wheat System. Lentil and wheat yields obtained in direct sowing have been sometimes more than traditional system in the Lentil-Wheat System. Demonstration planting was done in large plots were showed farmers and participants in field days. The Ministry has gave importance to this issue and supports  direct planting seeder. We take all kinds of technical support to leader farmers and get successful results.

 

CURRENT PROJECTS

- Central Anatolian Rotation Studies;

1-      Two-year rotation researches on deep profiled soils (9 types of rotations).

2-       Four-year rotation studies on deep profiled soils (5 types of rotations).

3-      Two-year rotation studies on shallow profiled soils (9 types of rotations).

4-      Four-year rotation studies on shallow profiled soils (5 types of rotations).

-The Project of Protected Agricultural System Dissemination in Kırıkkale

YUKARI