As part of our university’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, hosted by our Faculty and with the support of the Turkish Seed Growers Association (TÜRKTOB) and the Plant Breeders Sub-Association (BİSAB), Plant Breeders’ Day on May 11 was celebrated with a panel discussion held on May 11, 2026, at the Ahi Evran Congress and Culture Center’s July 15 National Will Hall.
The event was attended by Alper Balcı, Deputy Governor of Kırşehir; Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş, Vice Rector; Prof. Dr. Aykut Gül, Member of the Presidential Council on Agriculture and Food Policies and faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Çukurova University’s Faculty of Agriculture; Prof. Dr. Selahattin Çınar, Dean of our Faculty; Kayhan Yıldırım, President of TÜRKTOB; BİSAB Board Chairman Mehmet Sinan Berksan, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Balkaya, a faculty member of the Department of Horticulture at the Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramazan Ayrancı, a faculty member of the Department of Field Crops at our Faculty, Kırşehir Chamber of Agriculture President Mevlüt Toprak, as well as academic and administrative staff and students.
The program began with an opening speech by Mehmet Sinan Berksan, Chairman of the BİSAB Board of Directors. Berksan provided information about BİSAB’s activities and noted that Plant Breeders’ Day has been celebrated annually since 2010, hosted by the agricultural faculties of different universities. Emphasizing the critical importance of plant breeders for national development, Berksan also noted that BİSAB cultivates qualified human resources through breeding courses held annually under its auspices.
Next, the Dean of our Faculty, Prof. Dr. Selahattin Çınar, took the floor and delivered a speech on the significance of the day. Addressing numerous current issues, particularly food safety and climate crises, Prof. Dr. Selahattin Çınar emphasized that behind every food production effort stands a plant breeder, and expressed his satisfaction at hosting such a meaningful event.
In his speech, TÜRKTOB President Kayhan Yıldırım stated that countries must now become leaders not only in industry and technology but also in food production, sharing the message: “The future belongs to those who decode and produce their own seeds.”
Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş noted that plant breeders not only develop new products but also secure the future, and stated that the university will continue its research and production activities with a focus on science.
Alper Balcı, Deputy Governor of Kırşehir, who delivered the closing remarks, also celebrated Plant Breeders’ Day by highlighting the importance of food for humanity and our country.
Following the opening remarks, a documentary-style video titled “Plant Breeding from the Republic to the Present” was screened. A concert was performed by the Music Department of our university’s Neşet Ertaş Faculty of Fine Arts.
Three key presentations were delivered at the panel discussion titled “The Strategic Role of Plant Breeding in Agricultural Independence,” moderated by Prof. Dr. Selahattin Çınar, Dean of our Faculty. Prof. Dr. Aykut Gül, a member of the Presidential Council on Agriculture and Food Policies, addressed the issue of agricultural sovereignty in his presentation titled “The Strategic Importance and Self-Sufficiency in Agriculture”; Prof. Dr. Ahmet Balkaya discussed the topic “Ornamental Plant Breeding, Self-Sufficiency, and Strategic Status,” and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramazan Ayrancı, a faculty member of our Department of Field Crops, shared his insights on the topic “Field Crop Breeding, Self-Sufficiency, and Strategic Status” with the audience.
Following the panel discussion, certificates of appreciation were presented to the speakers in recognition of their contributions to the program. During the subsequent awards ceremony, the “Dr. Vehbi Eser Most Outstanding Thesis Awards” were presented to the authors of the winning theses and their advisors, while the top students in the department, faculty members, and researchers working in the field of plant breeding were also honored. The program concluded with a group photo.
