AN OVERVIEW OF THE SMART MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION IN TÜRKİYE

17th ÇUKUROVA INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS, Adana, Türkiye, 10 - 12 Temmuz 2026, ss.149-159, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

Effective use of water resources is becoming more and more important in terms of the sustainability of

agricultural production. Climate change, population growth, and pressure on water resources worldwide

necessitate the development of more efficient and innovative approaches to agricultural irrigation

practices. A significant part of the usable water resources in Turkey is consumed in agricultural

irrigation, and the productivity losses experienced in existing irrigation systems make it difficult to

manage water resources sustainably. This makes the use of digital technologies in irrigation processes

an important necessity. Smart irrigation technologies; It consists of components such as soil moisture

sensors, meteorological measurement systems, internet of things (IoT), remote sensing technologies,

geographic information systems and artificial intelligence-based decision support systems. Thanks to

these technologies, the amount of water required by the plant can be applied at the right time and in the

appropriate amount, reducing water losses and increasing production efficiency. In this study, the

potential of managing agricultural irrigation with smart technologies in Turkey was evaluated with a

thematic approach. In the study, firstly, the irrigation situation of Turkey was examined, then the basic

components of smart irrigation systems were explained and the applicability of existing technologies in

the country conditions was evaluated. The findings indicate that the deployment of smart irrigation

technologies can enhance water use efficiency, reduce production costs, and make significant

contributions to sustainable agricultural production.