Konya Product Pattern Should Change

Stating that in the Konya Plain, it is essential to turn to plants that consume less water for the future of agricultural production, Assoc. Dr. Kubilay Kurtuluş Baştaş said, “Drought is increasing with each passing day. "It is necessary to prefer a plant pattern that is suitable for the conditions of our region and compatible with our decreasing water resources, and with this, the necessary information should be given to our producers.

Drought, which has become the biggest problem of today, poses a great danger to agriculture. Selcuk University Agriculture and Climate Change Application and Research Center Manager and Faculty of Agriculture Plant Protection Department Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Kubilay Baştaş, "The main cause of climate change is the way of life of human beings and human beings. Today, 815 million people in the world cannot find enough food. It is predicted that major migrations will start due to climate changes, 143 million people will be forced to migrate only because of climate changes until 2050, and especially after this date, the effects will increase exponentially ”.

"WE MUST IMPROVE OUR PRODUCT PATTERN"

Baştaş said, "Drought and other problems caused by climate change, whose effects are gradually increasing in the world, in our country and in our region, have started to show their effects in agriculture at a high level." Baştaş said: "To take the necessary measures urgently to minimize the important water problems that will be experienced in the very near future in our country and in Konya. we need to get started and improve our crop pattern and cultivation techniques to tackle this big problem. There are approximately 150 thousand underground water wells in our city. The number of sinkholes, which is a proof of the rapid and significant withdrawal of our groundwater, is over 500 in Konya today. "It will be a big problem to grow the plants that are produced in Konya today and need high water in many areas in the near future due to the changing climate conditions and especially the possible water problem, and our only wish is not to come to that day."

'WE CAN'T GO UNDER THIS'

Stating that the habitats of many creatures have shifted from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere as the effect of global climate change, Kubilay Baştaş said, “We can already say that there will be significant changes in the plant and animal production structure of our country in 15-20 years, and that unusual plants will be grown in the Central Anatolia region. Unfortunately, water shortages will make their effects felt even more with increasing temperatures. Even today, though the problems of drinking water are being experienced in many cities, the ideas of using our scarce water resources effectively and storing them underground have started to emerge. In agriculture, we should put alternative approaches to the products that our producers are accustomed to and whose livelihood they have been used to, without damaging their welfare level. Our producers are aware of the approaching danger, but they need expert support on the subject. In some areas with less irrigation problems at the moment, the danger to be experienced in the near future awaits our children, and we cannot overcome this plague ”.

"ALL PLANTS NEED WATER"

Underlining that all plants need water, Baştaş said: “With many important and valuable projects, new water resources continue to be transferred to our region. Although this situation partially relieves the current problem, it is necessary to use the available water more efficiently as it has more energy costs. Instead of saving the day, we should act with forward-looking plans for more permanent and sustainable solutions. For example, plants with different ecological demands are grown in conditions with different meteorological and soil characteristics throughout Konya. The common wish of all these plants is more or less water. In this case, studies should be started by matching the technical characteristics of the plants to be grown with the geographical and climatic characteristics of the region. Due to the different features seen in many different points in Konya province, an important feasibility study is required with an expert team. However, here we will need teams that work with pure intentions, thinking only of our children who will carry our children to the future and future of our country, far from all personal interests. In addition to many important institutions and organizations working for this purpose, we established the Selcuk University Agriculture and Climate Change Application and Research Center, which is the first and only center in our country. We stand by all our producers on a voluntary basis with our team of scientists in all fields of agriculture.

"IT IS TIME TO LEAVE OUR HABITS"

Stating that in all countries where water problems are or will be experienced, new regulations should be made in all personal, institutional and industrial / agricultural activities, "We will see its effects in 15-20 years, even if we start new structuring today. However, we have to take some radical decisions for our country and our future and start implementing them immediately. When we look at the event from an agricultural point of view, projects need to be implemented with an urgent planning since it will seriously affect human nutrition, food security and the economy of our country. The profitability decreasing with the increase of maintenance and operating costs in agricultural production, the inability to use some physically problematic and thirsty lands, the inability to obtain the expected earnings from annual crop planting, the increase of desertification lands, the aging of the rural population and the migration to the city cause the gradual decrease of young farmers. Being one of the most important agricultural countries in the world has always given us strength from past to present. When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said that the peasant is the master of the nation, he said not only how valuable our farmers are and that they do a very important job, but that agriculture is always our first priority for our country. "We must protect agriculture, which is our national value for our country and our future, and continue on our way with the latest and modern technology in changing world conditions."

"WE NEED A LOT OF GRAINS"

Stating that the farmers should not stay away from grain production, especially wheat, due to drought, Baştaş said, “According to the reports of important research centers, the world population will exceed 9 billion in the next 30 years, more than 50 countries will suffer from water shortages, the increasing world population and decreasing water resources will seriously It will also bring about food shortage. In this case, agriculture will be the most important strategic power that constitutes the political power of states ”. Baştaş said, “Grains, which are of great importance in human nutrition, have great importance both as a food product and economically all over the world. Grains are one of the main products that should not be given up even under the drought problem. New agricultural production systems, the use of resistant varieties developed against drought, in addition to the existence of many new varieties or genotypes obtained in the world in this regard, we also have drought-resistant varieties developed in our country and Konya in our important research centers, are very important developments. It will be very effective to use these varieties for regions with less water. But we should definitely not give up our grain production. I believe that our ancestral seeds will also be important in this regard ”.

"ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS SHOULD BE DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE REGION AND CLIMATE DATA"

Assoc. Dr. Kublai K. Bastas, "many cultures in the world with fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and industrial crops are a part of the homeland of Turkey and many of these products can be easily grown in the climatic conditions of our country in the present circumstances. Fertile soils, manpower and unique natural resources and Turkey's prominent strategic power, knowing that the correct use of these powers and also agriculture as quickly adapt to today's problems, including changes in climate especially, industry and the path of development by producing quality products in technology will open, "he concluded .

SÜMEYRA KENESARI / YENİ HABER