Drought has delayed agricultural planting dates

The planting of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Akdeniz (AU) in the Aksu district of Antalya was postponed for 1 month due to drought.

The sowing of wheat and corn, which was carried out in mid-November 2021, could only be carried out in mid-December 2022.

Professor at the Faculty of Agriculture. Dr. Dursun Büyüktaş said: “As the soil moisture that we expected in recent years was not there, it was reduced until mid-December.”

According to the data of the General Directorate of Meteorology; December 2022 was recorded as the ‘hottest December’ in the last 52 years. While climate change was reflected in the numbers, the associated drought also affected agricultural products. Planting dates for agricultural products were postponed due to unsuitable soil for planting.

Agricultural activities on 1084 decares of land planted by the Akdeniz University Faculty of Agriculture in the Aksu district of Antalya were delayed by 1 month compared to 2021. Planting of wheat and maize, which took place in mid-November 2021, it could only be carried out in mid-December 2022.

‘WATER IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE’

Dean of the UA Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Mustafa Erkan said that the effects of climate change and drought have started to cause negative effects on agriculture.

Erkan said: “There are three basic elements for agriculture: soil, water and light. Alternatives to both land and light have been found, but there is no alternative to water. The themes that we have been talking about for a long time have started to become palpable today. Climate changes will not only bring problems in terms of drought. As a result of not being able to produce on time and the changes in the production period, there will also be negative aspects that can be experienced in agricultural production. In the future, agricultural production will be a form of production that can be done using knowledge and science.”

‘RAIN WILL FALL IN 1 MONTH, WILL FALL IN 1-2 HOURS’

Stating that the risk of drought will increase every year, the president of the Antalya Chamber of Agronomists and a member of the AU Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Dr. Dursun Büyüktaş said: “Due to the increase in global temperature, the form of precipitation will change. Precipitation, which previously fell as snow, will begin to fall as rain. The precipitation that will fall in a month in an extreme way will fall in 1-2 hours. These rains will not be beneficial but harmful. This year has been very dry. In the coming years there will continue to be a risk of drought,” he said.

WARNING ALSO FOR THE KONYA PLAIN

Stating that a change in the seasons is expected, Prof. Dr. Büyüktaş said, “85 percent of grain cultivation in our country is done in dry conditions. If it rains, our grain and wheat yield is high. Depending on the drought, the arrival of the soil to the tray will be delayed. A change in seasons is expected. The peak period in river flows is in April; maybe this will go 1 more month. The wheat was sown in mid-October. It slid in mid-December because the soil moisture we’ve come to expect in past years wasn’t there. Since the expected rains did not occur, there will be a decrease of at least 40 percent in the 2023 yield, especially in the Konya plain.

’51 OF 100 LITERS OF WATER IS A WASTE’

Stating that drought action plans should be prepared and activated immediately, Prof. Dr. Büyüktaş said, “It will be necessary to develop drought-resistant plants that consume less water. For plants that use a lot of water, there may be a change in the planting pattern. We need to use available water more efficiently. 85% of irrigation is done in nature. In this way, 51 liters of 100 liters of water are wasted without any contribution. Currently 6.8 million hectares of land are irrigated. 1.3 million hectares of this are irrigated with old installations. These facilities need to be rehabilitated. The farmer needs to be supported in this process”, he said. (DHA)