This study delves into the critical issue of climate change and its impact on maize cultivation, focusing on irrigation water requirements (IWR) and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) values over three distinct time periods: 1971–2000 (RF), 2025–2054 (P1), and 2069–2098 (P2), under the climate scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in the AR5 of the IPCC via the CROPWAT model. The research reveals significant increases in mean temperatures, particularly during summers, in both scenarios, signifying the substantial influence of climate change on the Cukurova Region’s climate. Daily average evapotranspiration (ETo) values for the study periods demonstrate noteworthy increases, with the most pronounced rise observed in July for P2 under RCP8.5, emphasizing the seasonality and magnitude of the change. Moreover, the study underscores a consistent escalation in irrigation water requirements from RF to P2 periods for both scenarios, highlighting the pressing need for water resource management strategies in agriculture. Under RCP4.5, the study found that average simulated ETc increased by 9.2% for P1 and 11.7% for P2 compared to the RF period. In the harsher RCP8.5 scenario, ETc values displayed a substantial 20.0% increase for P2 and exhibited a wide range of variation across the study periods. In the light of these escalating climate change impacts, this study underscores the imperative of understanding and addressing the challenges encountered in maize cultivation. The findings emphasize the consistent rise in temperature and irrigation demands, underscoring the necessity for proactive adaptive strategies to ensure the sustainability of agricultural practices and long-term food security. As climate change continues to exert its influence, this research serves as a call to action for policymakers, agricultural stakeholders, and researchers to prioritize adaptation efforts to safeguard the future of maize production and the global food supply.

Dünyadaki en kritik yaşam unsurlarından biri olan suyun, etkili kullanımı gün geçtikçe önem kazanmaktadır. Nüfusun durmaksızın artması ve iklim değişiklikleri ile beraber; su kaynaklarının hem tüketim hızı hem de kullanım şekilleri tartışma konusu olmuştur. Bu konulara çözüm getirebilecek yöntemlerden biri de geçmişi çok uzun yıllar öncesine dayanan “Su Hasadı” yöntemidir. Su hasadı; insan, hayvan veya bitkilerin kullanımı için su sağlamak amacıyla, yağışla meydana gelen yüzey akışının toplanması olarak tanımlanabilir. Tekniğin mikro havza boyutunda çatı ve çiftlik sistemleriyle kullanımını görmek mümkünken; makro havza boyutunda ise vadi yatağı ve vadi dışı sistemler kullanılmaktadır. Su kaynaklarının önemli bir kısmını kullanan tarım sektöründe; üretimin devam ettiği kurak ve yarı kurak bölgelere düşen yağmur suyunun büyük bir kısmı, buharlaşma yoluyla veya akışa geçerek verimli bir şekilde kullanılamadan uzaklaşır. Su hasadı tekniğinde ise yağmur suları depolandıktan sonra tarım arazilerine uygulanmak üzere bekletilebilir. Yöntem; buharlaşma veya akış sebebiyle kayıplar yaşanmayacağından toplam sulama suyu miktarını arttıracak ve su kaynakları üzerindeki baskıyı azaltacaktır. Kaynakların yükünü azaltması dışında; toprak erozyonunun önlenmesinde oynadığı rol de yöntemin ana faydalarından biri olarak görülmektedir. Genel olarak uygun coğrafyaya göre uygun yöntem seçildiğinde; su hasadı düşük dış girdili bir yöntemdir ve uygulanması zor değildir. Birkaç istisna dışında, hasat edilen suyu iletmek veya uygulamak için enerjiye ihtiyaç duymaz. Bu çalışmada su hasadı yönteminin; ana unsurları, farklı kullanım alanları ve teknikleri hakkında bilgi verilmektedir.

Irrigation optimization is critical for sustainable agriculture in water-scarce regions, particularly for drought-tolerant crops like lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.), where strategic water management can enhance productivity. This study evaluated the impact of different irrigation regimes on yield, yield components, essential oil content, water productivity, and irrigation water productivity of drip-irrigated lavender under the semi-arid conditions of Niğde, Turkey, over five growing seasons (2020–2024). Treatments included full irrigation (T₁), moderate deficit irrigation (T₂, 33% water deficit), severe deficit irrigation (T₃, 66% water deficit), and rainfed conditions (T₄). Results demonstrated that T₂ achieved fresh yields (144–227 kg da⁻¹) and oil yields (2.7–6.9 kg da⁻¹) comparable to T₁, with crop water consumption ranging 781.5–923.6 mm. Rainfed conditions significantly reduced yields but maximized water productivity, highlighting the potential for efficient water use even under substantial water deficits. Essential oil content remained stable (1.88–3.04%) across treatments, except in 2022 (p < 0.05). Lavender exhibited low drought sensitivity, with a yield response factor (k_y) of 0.25, indicating adaptability to controlled water deficits. Regression analyses revealed significant positive linear relationships between crop water consumption and fresh yield. Overall, the findings emphasize that improving water productivity through moderate-to-severe deficit irrigation strategies can support sustainable lavender production under semi-arid conditions, even when absolute yields are partially compromised. Results indicated that T₂ is recommended for optimizing water productivity with minimal yield reduction. However, in water-limited regions, T₃ provided viable productivity, offering a suitable balance for sustainable lavender production in semi-arid climates.

The new coronavirus, emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, turned into a major global pandemic and has caused many deaths around the world. Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected every aspect from economy, education to health system. During Covid-19 pandemic, access to foodstuffs has become even more important, and some countries have imposed restrictions on exports of basic food items for fear of food shortages. These restrictions and quotas are feared to disrupt the flows of trade for staple foods such as wheat, corn and rice, which has deepened the concerns for food security. This study was conducted to examine the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on wheat price, production and trade and to review the policies of wheat exporter countries. According to the results of the study, Covid-19 did not cause fear in wheat markets, and no shortages of wheat are expected in the short term. Although countries have reduced the measures they have taken as of May, uncertainties regarding food safety still persist for the coming years. World economies have shrunk significantly as a result of the drastic measures they have taken against covid-19, which could worsen the situation for low income households.