The use of zinc fertilizers in Turkey

2/9/2011

The project conducted by the Çukurova University researchers in cooperation with the research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture during 1992-1995 has demonstrated clearly that soils in the Central Anatolian region were deficient in zinc for growing wheat. Based on the initial results of this study, other university and research institutes in Turkey have conducted projects related to zinc in various regions of Turkey on crops such as cotton, corn, sunflowers, rice and potato besides vegetables and fruit trees and found dire need of zinc for these crops.

The results of numerous studies have shown that application of zinc to the soil not only increases crop productivity but also enhances product quality. The fact that zinc deficiency is not limited only to calcareous soils with high pH value but also can be widely seen in rainy regions. This has promoted the importance of zinc as a plant nutrient in Turkey

Application of zinc through zinc-added fertilizers
In order to transfer the results of scientific studies to practical application, the most suitable and simple method of providing zinc to the soil would be to produce zinc added fertilizers in cooperation with the industrial organizations. TOROS, as the leader in the production and marketing of fertilizers in Turkey became the first producer of zinc added fertilizer as a contribution to national agriculture and enabling the use of zinc fertilizers. As was the case with grain products, the zinc necessary for the initial development of most plants needed to be added to the soil with basic fertilizers. Zinc was applied in the form of zinc oxide to the most commonly used compound fertilizers in open field agriculture, whereby TOROS produced NP (20-20-0) and NPK (15-15-15) compound fertilizers enriched with 1 per cent Zn.

Farmers’ education on zinc fertilization
This new fertilizer was introduced to the farmers by TOROS agronomists and marketing team through presentations and demonstrations under farmers’ conditions. TOROS also organized training seminars for farmers as well as TV and radio presentations to illustrate the benefits of widespread use of zinc fertilizers.

The effect of zinc fertilizers
The positive effects of zinc fertilizers in productivity and crop quality have greatly motivated the farmers to use zinc added compound fertilizers, which started with 2000 tonnes in 1992 and reached 450,000 tonnes in 2007. The application of zinc fertilizer that started with wheat, the main dietary component of the Turkish population, has spread to all field crops and horticulture, enabling farmers to increase their income per cultivated unit area. Wheat and
barley in Turkey are cultivated for human consumption as well as for feeding livestock, especially the bran produced from these crops. Almost 30 per cent of wheat production is for the latter purpose i.e. livestock feeding. Thus, the importance of using zinc fertilizers is further enhanced.

TOROS leads the way
TOROS is the leader in adding zinc to compound formulations, such as 10-20-20,18-24-12,15-25-15 and 20-32-0. This had started with only two compound fertilizers. This has been a great success and helped increase the use of zinc in Turkey.

The future
Other fertilizer producers in Turkey have also started to add zinc to some of their productions, indicating that TOROS TARIM had made the right decision more than 15 years ago. Zinc fertilizers have increased productivity and crop quality in the Turkish agriculture and it is evident that their use shall continue to grow in the future.