Research on the awareness level of farmers about drip irrigation and smart irrigation systems in the southeastern anatolia region

This study aims to determine the perspective of farmers doing irrigated farming in the Southeastern Anatolia Region on modern irrigation systems, their knowledge levels and awareness about new irrigation technologies such as drip and smart irrigation systems, and to understand the obstacles to the spread of modern agricultural irrigation systems. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with 50 farmers from Şanlıurfa province, 51 from Şırnak, 50 from Batman, 51 from Diyarbakır and 50 from Mardin province, a total of 252 farmers doing irrigated farming in the region, and data were collected. The obtained data were evaluated using the SPSS 2021 statistical analysis program. Smart agricultural applications are evaluated within the scope of modern agricultural technologies, and the impact of these technologies on productivity is discussed. The place of innovative technologies such as smart irrigation systems and robotic applications in agricultural production is examined, and the advantages of these applications such as reducing costs, increasing yields and optimizing resource use are discussed. The literature review of the study is summarized in the previous studies on smart agricultural applications and modern irrigation technologies section, and the findings of scientific research in this field are shared. The research examines the general structure of the agricultural sector in Türkiye, the importance of agriculture on the country's economy and society. In the first section, the scope of the agricultural sector and the factors affecting productivity are discussed, then the historical development and current status of Turkish agriculture are examined. The importance of agriculture for Turkey is emphasized, and information on soil and water resources and plant production activities is presented. In addition, the use of agricultural lands in Türkiye and the efficient use of agricultural lands are discussed. As a result of the study; It was observed that the participants were highly satisfied with the transition to drip irrigation/smart irrigation system and the opportunities offered by the system. At the same time; It reveals that drip or smart irrigation activities are less preferred in small areas, mostly preferred in larger areas and used especially in large-scale agricultural activities. The vast majority of the participants are primary school graduates and approximately 98% of them have not received training on drip irrigation systems, but approximately 85% have used these systems with at least 5 years of experience. Therefore, it was determined that there is a serious inverse proportion between the participants' level of education and their awareness of these technologies and the rate of using technology.