The results obtained from the "model production area" studies carried out by GÜBRETAŞ in order to popularize conscious agricultural practices continue to make producers happy with abundant, productive and high-quality harvests. For this purpose, within the scope of agricultural consultancy works that GÜBRETAŞ has focused on in recent years, model production areas were created for 17 different agricultural plants at 2 points in TRNC and 29 points across Turkey in 2020. Despite the Covid-19 epidemic, successful harvests continue to be made as a result of effective fertilization programs applied in model production areas.

As a result of the program implemented under the consultancy of GÜBRETAŞ agricultural engineers in order to increase the efficiency and quality in the corn model production area established in Kahramanmaraş, the efficiency above the Turkey average was achieved. 1,720 kg of corn per decare was harvested in the model production area. Thus, 620 kg/da more corn was harvested compared to the regional average and 530 kg/da more than the producer practice.

This practice was also an important example for the cooperation of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives subsidiaries. In the study led by GÜBRETAŞ on conscious agriculture and plant nutrition, grain corn seed named "Albayrak" from TAREKS, one of the subsidiaries of Agricultural Credit, was used, while plant protection products were provided by TARKİM. Thanks to this synergy, high efficiency was achieved.

GÜBRETAŞ, which has been carrying out "model production area" applications in order to increase agricultural productivity and disseminate good agricultural practices throughout Turkey for years, with the awareness of the responsibility of being a pioneer in the sector, continues its work on agricultural consultancy during the epidemic period. This year, in model production areas established for 17 different agricultural products, from hazelnuts to sunflowers, from potatoes to corn, at 29 locations across Turkey, high yields and superior quality products that make landowners happy with conscious agricultural practices continue to be produced.

HOW IS MODEL PRODUCTION AREA APPLICATION DONE?

In the "model production area" study, expert agricultural engineers first take soil samples with GPS location records from the land where trial cultivation will be carried out and send them for analysis in GÜBRETAŞ's internationally accredited laboratories. According to the soil analysis results obtained in the laboratory, expert agricultural engineers prepare plant nutrition programs specific to the land where model application will be made.

In the process starting from pre-planting until harvest, GÜBRETAŞ field teams provide free consultancy services to the producers and the development of the plant in the field is closely monitored at every step.

In model production areas where conscious agricultural methods based on scientific data are applied in all planting and maintenance stages, superior quality and abundant productive results are achieved at harvest time. In this way, conscious and balanced fertilization is ensured to become widespread among producers.

COBs ARE FULLYER IN KAHRAMANMARAŞ WITH CONSCIOUS FERTILIZATION

One of the model production area applications established by GÜBRETAŞ to popularize conscious agriculture was carried out in Dulkadiroğlu district of Kahramanmaraş. In the corn trial planting practice, which was carried out on a 10-decare area of a producer's land in the region, a special plant nutrition program for corn was created by taking into account important factors such as soil analysis results, land and plant structure and climate conditions.

As a result of the application carried out under the supervision of GÜBRETAŞ agricultural engineers, higher results were obtained in terms of both productivity and quality compared to the average of Turkey and the region.

According to TURKSTAT data for 2019, Turkey's yield, which was on average 1,037 kg per decare, was around 1,000-1,100 kg this year across the Dulkadiroğlu district of Kahramanmaraş, where the trial was established. With GÜBRETAŞ's plant-specific nutrition program, 1,720 kg of corn per decare was harvested in the model production area. The yield in the witness area, where land owner Ökkeş Çolak applied his own methods in the other part of the same field, was 1,190 kg. According to these results, a 55% increase in corn yield in the region was achieved with the effective fertilization program.

LANDOWNER IS SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS

Ökkeş Çolak, the leading producer of land in Kahramanmaraş's Dulkadiroğlu district, said, "We have been farming with our own traditional methods for years. In this study, first of all, GÜBRETAŞ agricultural engineers came to our field, analyzed our soil and suggested a fertilization recipe accordingly. This year, I got more efficiency in the harvest compared to previous years. From now on, I will grow my products with the techniques I learned. “I would like to thank those who contributed to this productive result,” he said, expressing his satisfaction after the harvest.

GENERAL MANAGER YUMAKLI: “WE SIDE WITH PRODUCERS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY, ALSO DURING THE PANDEMIC PERIOD”

Evaluating the issue, GÜBRETAŞ General Manager İbrahim Yumaklı said, "Our company, which was established to increase productivity in the country's agriculture, has focused on practices such as farmer training meetings, field observation and prescription studies and model production areas to make this mission more effective, especially in the last 15 years. We continue to be a clear leader in the sector in these free agricultural consultancy activities, which we support with technological opportunities. We are increasing the number of model production areas we have developed year by year to offer exemplary practices to our farmers. We achieve high yields by applying the nutrition program created according to soil analysis in these trial planting areas, which our agricultural engineers carry out in close cooperation with leading producers. "The productivity increases we achieved in the exemplary practices carried out hand in hand with producers also reveal the importance of conscious agriculture and correct plant nutrition," he said.

Pointing out that within the scope of activities to popularize conscious agriculture, they carried out model field applications for more than 15 agricultural plants that are widely grown in Turkey and are important in terms of producer income, Yumaklı said, "Corn, which is one of the most produced grains in the world, is widely cultivated in different geographical regions in our country. It is a basic herbal product. The average yield per decare in corn agriculture across Turkey last year was 1,037 kg. However, thanks to the work done by our GÜBRETAŞ expert agricultural engineers and our plant-specific fertilizers, this year this rate in the land in Kahramanmaraş reached 1,720 kg per decare, approximately 70% above the Turkey average. "This result, which makes us as happy as our producers, is an important indicator of added value for Turkish agriculture," he said.

Stating that despite the effects of the global epidemic, the harvest processes have been completed in most of the model production areas planned this year, General Manager Yumaklı said, "Harvest has been completed in half of the areas where we have done model field work so far and we have generally achieved good results. "We expect yields above the regional and Turkey average from other harvests to be held in different provinces in the coming days," he said.

"As GÜBRETAŞ, we attach great importance to our farmers' awareness of correct agricultural techniques and their ability to obtain a fruitful harvest," said İbrahim Yumaklı, adding, "Efficiency in agriculture has become more important during the current epidemic period in terms of the continuity of agricultural production in our country. Because it is necessary to increase productivity and quality in order to obtain more products from limited agricultural areas. "When we achieve this, we will meet our country's food needs during and after the epidemic, while also contributing to the increase in the income our farmers earn from agriculture," he said.

For this purpose, emphasizing that GÜBRETAŞ always continues to support the producers for agricultural consultancy through its expert teams in the field and technological channels, Yumaklı said, "Example applications made by our expert agricultural engineers on model lands, awareness trainings given to farmers all over Turkey and personally going to the field and helping the producers." Their technical support continues. In addition, there are many technological services such as GÜBRETAŞ producer consultancy lines, which received intense interest and an important function especially during the epidemic period, the information and videos we share from our social media accounts, and the GÜBRETAŞ EGP (Effective Fertilization Programs) mobile application, which can be easily downloaded to all mobile phones and experts can be reached on topics of interest. "We continue to add value to these lands," he said.

THE JOY OF HARVEST IS SHARED IN DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS

GÜBRETAŞ, which shared the results of the work carried out in these model areas in the past years with other producers in the region and the press through field and garden day events organized during the harvest period, did not organize harvest day events this year within the scope of the measures taken against the epidemic. However, the successful results in the harvested model production areas continue to be shared with producers through communication channels.

In this context, GÜBRETAŞ continues to use digital channels effectively to ensure the spread of conscious agriculture by broadcasting the films it has prepared by recording video recordings of the practices in model production areas and the harvest phase, on its YouTube channel and social media channels.