Impacts of climate factors on wheat yields in Turkey

The purpose of this paper is to identify the impacts of climate factors on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields in Turkey. In addition to the most significant climatic factors affecting deviations in wheat yield were identified in the study. Konya, Ankara and Adana where are the most important provinces in Turkey in terms of wheat production have been identified as research areas. Therefore, there is a need for research to determine the association between climatic factors and yields to assess the importance of effect of climate factors in agricultural production and farmers’ income. In the study, time series data were used to analyze wheat yields across various climate factors for the period 1990 to 2007. Planting, flowering and harvesting times of wheat in the research areas were determined and meteorological data used in this study were arranged according to phonological periods of the wheat crop investigated according to examined period. For prediction of wheat yields, relationships between dependent variable (yield) and independent variables (meteorological data) were examined using by Linear Perturbation Model (LPM). In the LPM, yield series of wheat relating 1990-2007 period were considered as dependent variables. The independent variables (climatic variables) in the model were calculated separately for research areas according to planting, flowering and harvesting times of wheat.