Training and application support was given to more than 400 farmers to minimize the effects of climate change on agriculture within the scope of the "Climate Resistant Agricultural Network Project" that lasted for three years in Antalya, Konya and Şanlıurfa amid extreme weather conditions.
The project, which was implemented in March 2020 in partnership with the Nature Conservation Center (DKM), the Agriculture and Food Ethics Association (TARGET) and the Leading Konya Farmers' Association (KÖÇD), was completed in February 2023. The project was supported by the delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, representatives of civil society, public and private sector organizations, universities, farmers' unions and local administrations working for adaptation to climate change.
In the pilot studies, ecosystem-based solutions, evaluation of organic wastes, rainwater harvesting and the use of technology were highlighted in the fight against climate change-related disasters.
In addition, the "Agricultural Climate Disaster Map of Türkiye" was created to share agricultural reviews through tools such as local news on the effects of climate change on agriculture via written as well as visual adaptation of resources.
Sharing the observations and experiences at the end of the project with Anadolu Agency (AA), Nature Conservation Center Soil and Water Program coordinator Melike Kuş said that due to the fact that agriculture is an outdoor activity, it is very sensitive to climate change, and the effects are far more extreme. She suggested that experts from different fields should act together to increase resilience to climatic processes.
"Unfortunately, climate-friendly practices do not achieve the same success everywhere and do not always yield the desired results due to certain cultural, sociological and economic reasons. Also, farming is not an easy task as there are too many variables involved in it," Kuş said.
Emphasizing that if measures are not taken against climate change, we can witness disasters, Kuş said: "We are working on the use of compost as mulch and rainwater harvesting within the scope of the pilot applications. Mulch application, which is relatively easy on smaller lands, may not be applicable on 300-500 acres. In this case, we resort to 'direct sowing' or reduced tillage. In this method, everything is done at once and a maximum of 20% of the soil is cultivated. This method may be suitable for places with large acres of land such as Konya. In addition to this, cover crops can be induced. Not all methods can be applied everywhere, they may not be economical, but there are different applications of each scale, and it is necessary to find them."
Project coordinator Işıl Arslan Çelebi, who spoke about studies carried out in the above provinces, said: "In Antalya, compost was made from domestic waste with the Eastern Mediterranean Research Association. Rainwater was harvested and the water was stored and distributed by drip irrigation method. Training related to the production of vegetables and fruits that will meet the needs of a year were also conducted."
Voicing concern that drought and soil erosion are serious issues in Konya, Çelebi stated that authorities are trying to enable planting while retaining soil moisture, with more nature-friendly "direct sowing" methods compared to conventional agriculture. This project was implemented with the Protective Agriculture Association in the province. Wind curtains were created with acacia and oleaster trees to prevent soil erosion, and drip irrigation was carried out in the soil using moisture sensors, while agricultural activities were carried out without the need for water or any fertilizer.
In Şanlıurfa, with the Siverek Chamber of Agriculture, smart agriculture methods were designed with satellite and drone images. The information obtained from the research not only provided a list of useful fertilizers and watering methods for plants but also facilitated the diagnosis and control of pests. The experiences gained within the scope of the project were shared with more than 400 manufacturers.
Merve Kanak, the project's communication specialist, mentioned that they created a data set with information from farmers, adding: "Around 67 instances of natural disasters were recorded in our database, of which droughts, storms, hails and tornadoes were most numerous in regions such as Konya, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa and Amasya. Storms and tornadoes were particularly noted in Antalya along with landslides due to floods.
Kanak reiterated that there was a caterpillar invasion from Thrace on the borders of Central Anatolia last year and that a wide region from Tekirdağ to Ankara was affected, causing crops such as corn and sunflowers to lose yield.
