Faculty of Agriculture
The Faculty of Agriculture was established in 1992 to tap into the agricultural potential of the GAP Region. The first department to be established was Field Crops, followed by Horticulture, Plant Protection, and Animal Science in 1995. The Departments of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Machinery and Rural Buildings, and Irrigation were added in 2004.
The faculty has 48 academic staff members, including 18 professors, 15 associate professors, 8 assistant professors, 3 research assistant doctors, and 4 research assistants. There are 1,022 undergraduate students enrolled in the departments of Horticulture, Plant Protection, Field Crops, Agricultural Machinery and Rural Buildings, and Animal Science.
The faculty offers the following graduate programs:
- Horticulture (thesis master's, non-thesis master's, non-thesis master's evening program, and Ph.D.)
- Plant Protection (thesis master's and Ph.D.)
- Field Crops (thesis master's and non-thesis master's)
- Animal Science (thesis master's, non-thesis master's, non-thesis master's evening program, and Ph.D.)
- Agricultural Machinery and Technologies Engineering (thesis master's and non-thesis master's)
The faculty has completed over 50 research projects and is currently conducting over 30 research, application, and education projects with the support of institutions such as TUBITAK, DPT, the European Union, GAP Administration, Development Agencies, and BAP. As a result of plant breeding research conducted within the faculty, 1 cotton, 1 clover, 1 lentil, 1 wheat, 1 barley, and 5 vetch varieties have been obtained and registered under the name of the faculty. The EKOREZ brand (registered for grape juice, molasses, fruit leather, and sausage production) is also owned by the faculty. Certified seeds and seedlings are also produced within the faculty and made available to local producers.
The future projection of the faculty includes the following objectives:
- To direct students towards research and provide education on research methods and approaches.
- To assist students in the implementation of research projects and provide necessary resources.
- To demonstrate practical applications of plant and animal production techniques.
- To keep track of technology in agricultural research and production and apply it effectively.
- To produce solutions to regional problems and develop strategies for agricultural production.
- To establish the infrastructure to carry out quality and standardization controls on materials used in agricultural production.
- To respond to institutional and individual demands and provide services ranging from farm-scale to regional-scale studies, planning, and consultancy.
- To organize educational programs, conferences, courses, seminars, national and international congresses for the development of researchers at all levels and award certificates when necessary.
- To establish an educational and application center that can provide theoretical and practical training on new agricultural practices to regional farmers.
- To conduct research aiming to solve agricultural problems in the region and increase production, thereby contributing to regional agriculture specifically and national agriculture in general.