The “Wheat, Barley, and Forage Crops Demonstration Project,” prepared in collaboration with Kırşehir Ahi Evran University (KAEÜ), the Kırşehir Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the Kırşehir Commodity Exchange, and the Chamber of Agriculture, involved trial plantings on land belonging to the Kırşehir Commodity Exchange.
With the aim of demonstrating the performance of wheat, barley, triticale varieties, and vetch+grain mixtures suitable for the arid steppe geography and local farmers, supporting roughage production, and contributing to animal husbandry, 25 varieties and mixtures suitable for the region were planted.
Prof. Dr. Selahattin Çınar, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at KAEÜ, noted that the project was prepared to explain directly to farmers and to see and demonstrate productive and high-quality varieties in the field in response to the challenges posed by climate change.
Çınar explained that they planted 9 different bread wheat varieties, 2 different pasta wheat varieties, 5 different barley varieties, 3 different triticale varieties, and 12 different vetch+grain mixtures in separate plots. He said that they would hold a field day to explain to farmers in person at harvest time.
Emphasizing that they obtained and planted varieties of different types certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Ankara Field Crops Research Institute, Eskişehir Transition Zone Research Institute, and Konya Bahri Dağdaş International Research Institute, Çınar stated the following:
"There are problems due to drought, so we actually want to find the right seeds and varieties. In this study, the desired yield could not be achieved with the varieties planted in previous years due to climate change. By planting different seed varieties certified in the Central Anatolia region, we will determine the varieties suitable for the region by, so to speak, pitting the varieties against each other. The Kırşehir region is particularly a geography where barley, wheat, chickpeas, lentils, and vetch+grain mixtures are most commonly grown. Therefore, the seeds we planted were entirely targeted at these types."
Bülent Zafer Taş, Director of Agriculture and Forestry in Kırşehir, explained that they aim to minimize farmers' yield losses by identifying varieties suitable for the steppe, which is struggling with drought.
Taş stated that they will identify alternative types and varieties for farmers in the steppe region and reminded that the adaptation of the right seed variety will also contribute to the city's production capacity.
Emphasizing that they want to observe the performance of the varieties planted in collaboration with partner institutions, recommend ideal products to farmers, and provide information, Taş noted:
"In Kırşehir, which has 4 million decares of agricultural production area, our producers have experienced serious difficulties in terms of productivity and quality in product varieties, along with drought and temperature increases, along with climate change in recent years. Together with our academics at KAEÜ Faculty of Agriculture, we carried out our project to test varieties that are resistant to adverse environmental conditions and drought, and to encourage farmers to choose these products by seeing them in action. With this work, we will demonstrate yield and quality to our farmers by planting local seeds obtained from the Research Institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for Kırşehir, which is at a disadvantage in terms of water and climate.
Taş said, “By achieving successful results, we will change our farmers' preference for traditional seeds and ensure that they get a return on their labor. God willing, we will be successful. We will bring our farmers to the application area so that they can see the productivity and quality for themselves and encourage them to choose these products.”
