Economic Analysis of Chemical Fertilizer Use In TRA1 Region

This study aims to examine the agricultural enterprises' use of fertilizers in the TRA1 region enterprise levels, analyzing farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding fertilizer use. The study, conducted in the TRA1 region (Erzurum, Erzincan, Bayburt), involved interviews with 570 agricultural enterprise owners. Data were collected regarding fertilizer preferences, farmers' awareness levels in fertilization applications, and the factors influencing their choices. It was determined that enterprises primarily use nitrogenous fertilizers, followed by phosphate fertilizers, compound fertilizers, and potassium fertilizers. A significant proportion of enterprises (80.9%) determine the amount of fertilizer based on their experience, while only 4.7% decide after conducting soil analysis. Most enterprise owners purchase fertilizers from fertilizer dealers (40.2%) and obtain information about fertilizers from the same source (27.7%). Given that only 17.7% of enterprises receive information from agricultural institutions, it is evident that comprehensive farmer training programs should be implemented with the support of public institutions to enhance farmers' technical knowledge and skills.