Bayer CropScience in Turkey has opened its second AgroArena, the company’s new communication concept to demonstrate Turkish farmers’ ways to improve their cereal production in yield and quality, in 2009 in Külünçe village of Şanlıurfa on September 29th. Organizing the first AgroArena of the year for wheat and sugar beet in Aksaray, Bayer Crop Science has chosen cotton this time which is strategic for Turkey.

The AgroArena in Şanlıurfa consists of cotton fields which are specifically dedicated to show different Bayer crop protection solutions to the farmers, under a concept from ‘ seed to harvest’. Dr. İlhan Kural, Research and Development Manager at Bayer CropScience Turkey, pointing out the field was chosen by Bayer’s technical field staff and after the sowing it was cared exclusively by Bayer with the best knowledge and products available also says “With AgroArenas we want to show Turkish farmers what is possible to improve their production by using modern growing techniques and state-of-the-art crop protection products, even under sometimes challenging conditions and we also would like to prove our difference. Our country has a many advantages and a significant ecological position in global cotton production. Despite this, we can only meet one third of our need and the rest is still being exported. Turkey’s biggest problem in production is that high quality and standardized production is not reached the preferred level.”

Dr. İlhan Kural, Kural outlined that Bayer CropScience has a strong portfolio in cereals, starting from high-quality seed treatment products, best-working herbicides to crop auxiliaries all adapted to the specific needs of Turkish farmers. “The Agro Arenas show our commitment to providing innovative crop protection products, know-how and technical advice to the farming community;” he added.

Bayer BioScience Country Manager Ersin Arısoy noted that cotton bales which carry FiberMax brand, which is the most respected fiber brand manufactured from cotton seeds of Bayer BioScience, guarantees the fibers they have are high quality. “International Fibermax Certification Program we conducted lets farmers produce high quality an done-type bales. This also helps manufacturers to find markets easily and guarantees high profit.” he added.

AgroArena aims at information, exchange and solutions

Bayer’s AgroArena project, which started in 2007 and reached 5000 key farmers up to date, shows in different plots the usage of various treatment programs, and illustrates the performance of modern crop protection products. The AgroArena project is concluded with presentations by product experts and education in the safe handling of agrochemicals.