Türkiye SOIL FERTILITY MAP PROJECT

In parallel with the increase in the world population, the need for agricultural food is also increasing. Correct and efficient use of scarce resources is important in terms of meeting the agricultural food supply and demand balance and ensuring sustainability.

Gübretaş initiated the Turkey Soil Fertility Map Project in 2005 in order to use the agricultural lands in our country correctly and efficiently. This project aims to create a map of the fertility values of the country's soil. In this regard, existing qualitative and quantitative information is classified with spatial data and entered as data into sub-fields under locations through the map program. Within the scope of the project, which has been carried out for 18 years, soil samples of more than 17 thousand lands from 81 provinces were taken, analyzed and transferred to the digital environment. To date, a total of 17,448 points determined by GPS location have been analyzed.

Analyzes are made on soil samples received from farmers, and reports including fertilization recommendations are delivered to land owners. With this project, applied soil analysis and conscious plant nutrition training was provided to at least 50 thousand farmers.

Significant contributions were made to the increase in agricultural productivity with 13 types of plant and region-specific fertilizers.

The Soil Fertility Map Project aims to achieve the following goals:

To create a database for the future of agricultural production by creating a soil fertility map at the macro and micro nutrient level according to the geographical regions of our country by transferring GPS coordinates to the digital environment and to provide resources for studies to be carried out in this field,
To raise awareness of producers, especially the partners of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, and to provide scientific advice regarding the fertilization programs of the lands from which soil samples are taken,
To inform farmers about the results of all soil fertility parameters within the scope of the analysis of the soil sample taken from the producer's land through Gübretaş agricultural engineers and to make conscious plant nutrition suggestions in order to contribute to the solution of problems and increase in productivity,
As a result of evaluating the data obtained, to develop balanced and rich special fertilizers for plants and agricultural regions that are important in the country's economy,
The results of Gübretaş's work within the scope of this project were later presented to the T.R. To contribute to the creation of a large database on the country's agriculture by combining it with the studies carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and universities in this field.

GÜBRETAŞ EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP

The scope of the Gübretaş Education Scholarship, which has been given to undergraduate students since 2007 in order to support qualified manpower in the agricultural sector, has been expanded since 2017. Master's and doctoral students with thesis studying at agricultural faculties have also started to benefit from the scholarship as of 2021. In this context, as of the 2021-2022 academic year, scholarship support is provided to needy farmer children who are studying for undergraduate and graduate education in a total of 41 agricultural faculties across Turkey throughout the education period.

In this project, from which more than 550 agricultural faculty students have benefited since its inception, scholarships are currently given to approximately 80 undergraduate and graduate agricultural faculty students.

AWARENESS RAISING ACTIVITIES

Gübretaş organizes training meetings for producers and agricultural engineers in the field of plant nutrition, based on its mission of "Adding fertility to our lands by popularizing conscious agricultural production". In training meetings, producers are informed about the basic principles of balanced fertilization, plant nutrition techniques and soil analysis. These training activities aim to enable agricultural producers to grow high-yield and superior quality products that can compete in world markets, and to increase profitability by optimizing input costs, especially fertilizer.

LAND CONSULTANCY SERVICES

"Creating plant nutrition prescriptions" has an important place among Gübretaş's field consultancy services for producers for the implementation of plant nutrition programs prepared according to scientific methods. In this context, our expert agricultural engineers observe the fields and make special plant nutrition recommendations to the producers. In 2022, 10,257 producers were provided with prescription services on their lands, contributing to the dissemination of conscious plant nutrition in agricultural production.

MOBILE CONSULTANCY SERVICES

In addition to face-to-face consultancy services, Gübretaş also reaches manufacturers through mobile communication channels. With live telephone connection, mobile consultation line and EGP mobile application, producers can receive support regarding agricultural production from Gübretaş expert agricultural engineers wherever and whenever they want. In 2022, a total of 5,959 producers, 3,480 from mobile hotlines and 2,479 from the EGP mobile application, were informed by our expert agricultural engineers.

MODEL PRODUCTION AREAS PROJECT

Model Production Areas Project, one of Gübretaş's important activities to increase conscious agricultural production, aims to produce solutions to increase efficiency and quality in agricultural production through plant nutrition according to scientific methods. Another goal of the project is to achieve maximum efficiency with optimum fertilizer consumption. In this way, it is aimed to prevent excessive consumption of fertilizers, to prevent waste of resources and to protect our lands, which are our most valuable treasure.

Fertilization programs in model lands are determined according to soil analysis results. Model fields/gardens are constantly checked by expert engineers during the production period and the results are shared with producers in the region through organized field days. Plant nutrition programs used in model lands; It is converted into a document called "Effective Fertilization Programs" by Gübretaş and delivered to all farmers through various communication channels.

In 2022, 23 model production areas were created. While productivity increases of up to 100 percent were achieved in some of these areas compared to the leading producer, an average yield difference of nearly 24 percent was achieved in all areas.

CONSCIOUS PRODUCER MOVIES

In order to spread conscious plant nutrition practices in agricultural production to large masses and to promote our services, films were prepared and presented to producers under the concepts of "Conscious Producer" and "Plant Nutrition Tips".

Films prepared under these concepts have been made accessible to producers through many digital communication channels (Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, EGP, Gübretaş corporate website, etc.).