Winter wheat research in Türkiye

Abstract

Wheat is a very important staple grain crop for its place in human nutrition in the world. Its cultivation area and production and, due to its share in human diet, it is more important in Türkiye than most other countries. Archaeological research tracing back to the Epipaleolithic period provides information on the history of human nutrition. The charred grains and rock reliefs found in different excavations reveal the importance of grains in the lives of the peoples living in those geographical locations. Wheat research in Türkiye began with the establishment of a series of research stations soon after the foundation of the Republic. To meet the needs of farmers for new cultivars, selections were started from varieties collected from different regions of the country or introduced from abroad. Soon after that, combination-breeding programs were initiated. Research studies were started in Eskişehir in 1925, followed by the establishment of research stations in Istanbul Yeşilköy, Adapazari, and Ankara. After the start of the "National Wheat Research and Training Project," the number of agricultural research institutes working on wheat increased, reaching 12 today, including those working on winter wheat and spring wheat. Starting with 3 million ha of wheat cultivation area and 1 million tons of annual production with an average yield of 340 kg ha-1, the country reached 7 million ha of cultivation area and 22 million tons of production with an average yield of 2800 kg ha-1 today. The approximate increases in cultivation area, annual production, and average yield are up to 2.3-, 22-, and 8.23-folds, respectively. The number of released varieties reached 19 for domestic and 12 for foreign varieties in 1969, the date of the start of the national project. According to the current national variety list, a total of 375 spring/winter bread wheat varieties have been registered up to today. Of these varieties, 216 were released by the private sector, 140 by public research institutes (TAGEM), 14 by the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TIGEM), and five by universities. Of the 91 durum wheat varieties registered to date, 45 were released by public research institutes, 42 by the private sector, and four by universities. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024. All rights reserved.