From 19th Century to the Present: Agriculture
Although mechanization in agriculture began before the 1850s, it accelerated after this time. The invention of the reaper machine was pioneered due to the lack of local labor during the harvest season. The combine harvester was developed during these years and used for the first time. Thanks to the steam plow developed in 1860, it began to be used especially on large farms. Farmers started to use developed fertilizers on their fields with the increasing research on plant physiology and nutrition. Agriculture developed faster than previous years in the 20th century. The first tractor powered by gasoline was made in the United States in 1892. While a small number of tractors were used at the beginning, it reached almost 4 million in 1950. Machines were developed for different stages of plant species cultivation with technological advancements. Today, many new techniques and products are modified versions of those previously used. Genetics have been used in the creation of new plant and animal species, resulting in significant increases in productivity. The newly developed species were developed in accordance with farmers' wishes and were more resistant to plant pests and diseases. In animal husbandry, developments have been made with crossbreeding.
A regulation issued in the Ottoman Empire in 1847 took its place in history as the first step in land fragmentation. With this regulation, the way was opened for the daughters to benefit from inheritance, instead of the land passing from father to the most appropriate son. As a result, the lands were divided into very small pieces, and a decrease in income was observed because new farming techniques could not be used due to their small size. In 1858, a newly issued regulation tried to prevent these dangers. With a law issued in 1911, the lands owned by the peasants could be mortgaged and sold for debt. Although private property emerged before the Republic, this law caused unfair land arrangements. In the 19th century, initiatives were taken for new agricultural products. Sugar beet was one of the first attempts, but it failed despite all efforts until 1913. Later, when the seeds, which had been improved in the same year, became successful in Ankara, Çanakkale, Elazığ, Sivas, and Damascus, production began. The establishment of the sugar factory was delayed until the Republican era. Later on, they were encouraged to produce cotton, but because they lagged behind the world in weaving, only raw material exports were possible. Silk production and exports were also increased during the same years. Infrastructure works were also attempted during this period, but they could not be completed due to the war.
In the Republic of Turkey era, many studies were carried out in the field of agriculture. On February 17, 1925, the Village Institutes Law was enacted. The first of these institutes was opened in Afyonkarahisar in 1932. The law aimed to educate the villagers in agriculture, industry, and health issues. In 1933, the Agricultural Bank of the Republic of Turkey was established to meet the credit needs of farmers. Within the framework of the 1st Five-Year Development Plan (1963-1967), the production of basic agricultural products such as wheat, barley, and cotton was supported. In 1981, the Agricultural Sales Cooperatives Law was enacted to increase the income of farmers by marketing their products directly to consumers. In the following years, many laws and regulations were introduced to support agriculture and increase productivity.