SOUND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN TURKEY: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE ENHANCEMENT OF SOIL FERTILITY

Since the Neolithic period, agriculture has been the primary economic activity for humanity. The rapid increase in the world population led to an increase in the demand for food where agriculture and agricultural production became of prime importance. As urbanization and industrialization in Turkey and worldwide gained momentum from the 1950s, agricultural land has become compromised with a significant portion of agricultural land losing its primary function. Today, demographic pressures and demands by the tourism industry continue to increase. In this case, the future of agriculture land and its economic value, in Turkey, threatens prospects for higher agricultural production. To maintain the viability of agricultural activities to meet growing population demands, an increase in the available agricultural land and the conservation of soil fertility are a prerequisite. There must be good agricultural practices and an increase in organic farming in Turkey. Even though there had been relevant improvements, it is not sufficient. In addition to these practices, the use of chemicals that are not harmful to human health in the IV and higher-class soils, which have agricultural limitations due to various physical conditions, will have positive effects on the product quality, as well. In this study, we examined developments showing good agricultural practices in terms of human geography, in recent years. In addition, we will survey which types of polymers can be used to increase soil fertility and what are the possibilities to obtain them naturally from renewable resources that are environmentally compatible.