The results of the "Water Risks Project" Phase II, conducted in collaboration with Ankara University Water Management Institute by BCSD Türkiye, sponsored by Ülker and supported by Brisa, IC İçtaş Construction, PepsiCo, Sütaş, Şekerbank, Toros Agriculture, TürkTraktör, and Wilo, have been announced.
In the Çerikli District of Kırıkkale Delice Province in the Kızılırmak Basin, where agricultural water demand is expected to increase by 1.5 times by 2050, the "Water Risks R&D Project" was carried out in two phases over an 8-month period, focusing on water efficiency. Drip and overhead irrigation systems were utilized in wheat cultivation, which is of great importance for our country, within the scope of the project. Water-production functions were determined, water efficiency was evaluated both physically and economically, and water footprint was calculated.
In the first phase of the project, with drip irrigation, an average of 30% water savings was achieved in wheat production, while the yield increased by 20%.
In Phase II, sensor technology was employed for more precise irrigation scheduling and applications compared to Phase I. With an average yield of 337 kg/ha, a 28% higher yield was obtained compared to farmer practices. The average yield obtained in the project plot was 50% higher than the average for Delice district and 35% higher than the national average. Furthermore, a water saving of 53% with overhead irrigation and 65% with drip irrigation was achieved.