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Ayşegül Selışık, Deputy Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Türkiye stated that the most important solution to drought is informing farmers, adding that information must be conveyed to farmers in a practical manner.
Istanbul…
This report from Anadolu Agency’s (AA) ‘Agriculture in the shadow of drought’ dossier discusses how drought reduces yields and the need to educate farmers on this issue.
Dr. Selışık told an AA correspondent that the effects of climate change are being felt across all sectors.
Pointing out that when global climate change is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is its impact on water resources and drought, Dr. Selışık underlined that 75 per cent of water resources are used in agriculture.
Drawing attention to the fact that water conservation is most needed in the agricultural sector, she said, “Modern irrigation techniques need to be used very effectively in agriculture. In fact, we need to go further and use irrigation techniques with digital solutions that only water the plant’s roots when the plant feels the need for water, according to its growth level.”
“We can increase yield by planting drought-resistant varieties”
Emphasising that each product group has different solutions to drought, Dr. Selışık explained, “The most important solution to drought is knowledge. It is very important that farmers are properly informed and that this information is transferred to them in a practical way. When you implement it with the farmer, when you convey the right information to them, they can now decide on that option themselves. When we also put in place the support package, once the product is suitable for the geography and climate, a decision is made and we move forward.”
“If we are at the stage of deciding to choose a drought-resistant plant, when you convey the right information to the farmer, they can now decide on that option themselves. If we don’t have water, perhaps we can boost yields by planting a drought-resistant variety. So, by integrating all of this and getting the information to the farmer, we can offer a good solution,” she added…
By Mustafa Çalkaya,
www.aa.com.tr
