Agricultural Control

​For controlled use, recording and monitoring of chemicals used in plant production in Turkey, activities have been going on since November 04th, 2008 under the new “Legislation on Recording and Monitoring of Plant Protection Products used in Plant Production” based on the Law No. 5996 published in the Official Gazette dated November 25th, 2011. 

 

This study aims at the recording and monitoring of all plant protection products (chemicals) used in plant production for domestic market consumption and exportation. Overall objective is to keep the records and enable the monitoring of plant protection products used in plant production and therefore to provide food safety from production to consumption.

 

Within this scope, great importance has been given to training and extension activities for producers. Total 1.873.000 “Guidebooks for Farmers on Plant Protection” under 29 topics covering 42 products were delivered to farmers for free. The guidebooks include information on combatting against diseases and pests of important plant products, on chemicals to be used and on dosages of these chemicals.  Moreover, the farmers were provided for free with 2.525.000 “Record Books for Producers” for keeping the records of plant protection products.

 

With this study:

•   Traceability system will be established towards the objectives of providing food safety from farm to table and producing fresh and safe fruits and vegetables.

•   Risk factors threatening the health of human, environment and animals during agricultural production will be removed.

•   Healthy, safe and controlled crops will be produced both for domestic consumption and exportation.

•   Marketing of products will be made easier and marketing opportunities will be increased.

•   Producer and consumer society will be more conscious.

 

​In line with the overall objective of the Ministry on providing food safety, activities on plant health are accelerated. 
 

 

Within this scope, importance is given to the works of Integrated Control which uses in harmony all controlling techniques aiming at protection of biological diversity and providing sustainable agriculture in terms of human health and environment. Integrated Control against plant diseases and pests started in Turkey in 1995. Till today, Research Institutes of the Ministry prepared technical directives for total 16 products including wheat, maize, cotton, potato, chickpea, lentil, vegetables subject to protected cultivation, apple, citrus fruits, peach, cherry, apricot, olive, hazelnut, pistachio and vineyard. 

 

 

 

Technical information regarding the works of Integrated Control and scientific data obtained thereof were compiled in the form of directives by the researchers from the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies with the support of the General Directorate of Food and Control.  These directives give priority to alternative methods for chemical control, such as biological control, biotechnical methods, mechanical and physical control and cultural measures.

 

 

 

Within this scope, total 48.000 Technical Directive Books on Integrated Control in 16 separate issues were published and 40.000 of them were delivered to the technical personnel working in Plant Health Departments of 81 Provincial Directorates and 957 District Directorates for free. Moreover, these books were also delivered to the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, other Central Units of the Ministry, Faculties of Agriculture, Professional Unions and Non-Governmental Organizations. 

 

 

 

In-service Training Programs for Technical Personnel of the Ministry are planned as certified training model based on Integrated Control by 2013. Technical directives will also be used in the trainings of producers. 

 

​Efficient and timely control of sunn pest is of great importance in wheat production.  In accordance with the decision of “Sunn Pest Monitoring and Steering Commission”, sunn pest control has no longer been subject to government support since 2009 and tackled under Integrated Control. Within this scope, all kinds of training and technical assistance are provided by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, on condition that the cost of control is born by the farmers.

 

569 technical teams consisting of 1.903 personnel from the Provincial and District Directorates of Agriculture were established in 2012 for monitoring the migration of sunn pest from winter quarters to plains. Following the surveys regarding sunn pest, the teams decide on the areas to apply pesticide. Besides farmer training and extension activities on control of pests for farmers, the villages subject to pesticide application are announced.

 

During sunn pest control in 2012, chemical control was conducted in 10.355.041 decares of area in 25 provinces. Use of pesticides has reduced one third compared to the past years.  It has been found following the analysis that the average absorption rate in the harvested wheat has been under 1%.
 

Sunn Pest Control in 2012

Controlled Provinces and Area

41 million decares of area in 48 provinces

Pest Control

10.355.041 decares of area in 25 provinces

Number of useful insects released for biological control and the number planted saplings

5.350.000 useful insects,
98.585 saplings in 5 provinces

Absorption rate

Under 1 %

Contribution to National Economy

1.254.000.000 TL

 

SUBJECT OF CONTROL

CONTROL PROGRAM

Sunn Pest Control

25.010.895 Decares

Locust Control (Government Support)

239.755 Decares

Integrated Control

6.168.994 Decares

Works of Estimation and Warning

1.389.980 Decares

 

Support for Biological and Biotechnical Control

 

The Ministry promotes alternative control methods for reducing the use of pesticides and fighting against pesticide residue. Within this scope, producers conducting biological and biotechnical control have been provided with support payments since 2010.


Owing to the success gained so far in Biological and Biotechnical Control,  2012 has been regarded as a milestone. Moreover,

 

  • While the producers conducting biological and biotechnical control in protected cultivation were paid 200 TL per decare in 2011, this amount increased to 430 TL, with an increase by 115 % in 2012.

 

  • While the producers conducting biological and biotechnical control in the field were paid 40 TL per decare in 2011, this amount increased to 60 TL, with an increase by 50 % in 2012.

 

  • While the Ministry was giving support for the use of useful insects and pheromone trap in protected vegetable cultivation and in tomato and citrus fruits production in the field in 2011, production of vineyard and apple, which carry great importance for Turkey in terms of consumption and exportation, was also taken under the content in 2012.

 

  • Producers using biological and biotechnical control products since the beginning of 2012 could make use of these supports.


Works of Estimation and Warning

 

 It is aimed to assess the climatic conditions which affect the density of populations, to decide on the need for pesticide application, to decide on the most suitable period for pesticide application, to warn the producers beforehand and therefore, to prevent the loss of cost, energy and time. 

It is conducted in Turkey for apple (control of Venturia maequalis (Cke) Wint. and Cydia Pomonella) and for vineyard (control of Lobesia botrana and Plasmopara viticola).

Moreover, it is conducted in Potato, Tomato and Paddy for testing purposes.

By 2012, total 207 Stations of Electronic Estimation and Early Warning are available. Of them, 166 are for apple and 41 are for vineyard. 

 

Training and Extension

 

Publication activities:

 

3000 books, 710.000 leaflets and 156.000 bills in various subjects were published and delivered to provinces within 2012. 


Training activities:

 

In-service training; pilot studies of certified in-service training model on Integrated Control for Vineyard, Wheat, Apple and Citrus Fruits, and 77 technical personnel were provided with training in 2012. Under short-term in-service training activities, 1727 technical personnel were provided with training on plant health.

YUKARI ​