Agricultural Mechanization Level and Projection Estimation of Soil Tillage Equipment’s, Drills -Fertilizer Distributors of TR22 Region

Abstract

In this study, the change in agricultural mechanization level of Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces (TR22 Region) for the last 10 years (2013-2022) was determined, and the projection estimation of soil tillage equipment, drills and fertilizer distributors was determined. The material of the study consisted of tillage equipment, drills-fertilizing machines, two-axle tractors, and total cultivated area data obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). For Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces, the level of agricultural mechanization tended to increase according to the measured parameters between the years 2013-2022, and increases were observed in the number of soil tillage equipment and drills-fertilizer distributors. According to the projection coefficient values, tractor power values are generally projected to increase between 2023-2032 in Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces. While the number of tractors increased in both provinces, the tractor power per unit cultivated area (kW ha-1) and the number of tractors per 1000 hectares (tractor 1000 ha-1) increased over the years, while the cultivated area per unit tractor (ha tractor-1) also decreased in value. These findings show that there is an improvement in agricultural mechanization level in Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces.