Research on the affects of the soil analysis laboratories established through the grants of İzmir Development Agency over the habits of farmers' usage of fertilizers and their behaviour of soil analysis

In the study, reasons are being questioned as to whether there has been change in soil analysis behavior of producers in the region where soil analysis laboratories have been established, one within the Aegean University Bergama Vocational School and the other one within Kiraz Chamber of Agriculture through the framework of Grant Programme of Izmir Development Agency on Agriculture and Rural Development in 2009. Main material of research is the questionnaire applied to 146 farmers who have their soil analyzed in laboratories established in Kiraz and Bergama. In order to determine the factors affecting soil analysis attitude, questions were directed to understand the social pattern of the farmers, characater and the methods of their farming the and the socio-economic level in general. Within the scope of the analysis, producers in both districts were tried to determine whether they had done soil analysis and whether their analysis behavior changed after the laboratories were established and the factors that affected it. According to the survey, %65 of the participant farmers have declared that they have begun utilizing from the analysis services as the laboratories have begun their operation; %90 of them have stated that they have made changes in their usage of fertilizers based on the results of the analysis and almost all have said that they have confidence in the results of the analysis. It's been seen in the survey the fact that the government incentives on soil analysis have a positive impact on farmers for doing it. Research has laid the fact the laboratories investment in the region have created a meaningful improvement and change in the attitude of the farmers towards soil analysis and the necessity of supporting this change with some additional policies to make it sustainable. As a result, the analysis infrastructures established through the grants of the İzmir Development Agency have ensured a valuable service for the region.