Nestled in the southeastern corner of Türkiye, the town of Akçakale in Sanliurfa Province is a captivating blend of rich cultural heritage and vibrant agricultural landscapes. As the sun rises over the sprawling fields, the golden hues of wheat and cotton create a picturesque tapestry that speaks to the region's deep-rooted connection with farming.
Known for its fertile soils and favorable climate, Akçakale is not just a picturesque locale; it is a thriving hub of agricultural activity that has sustained generations of farmers like Ibrahim Beylem, a young-generation farmer who manages 90 hectares of farmlands in the local community. On his farmland where the largest parcel spans 10.3 hectares, Ibrahim grows some crops that are staples of the area, such as wheat, cotton, and maize, each playing a significant role in both the local diet and economy.
The Border Confusion After Land Consolidation
Each season brings new challenges and opportunities, and Ibrahim's commitment to sustainable farming practices has enabled him to adapt to the changing agricultural landscape. However, as is often the case in large-scale farming, challenges can arise, especially when it comes to managing vast planting areas.One of the significant challenges Ibrahim faced was the changing boundaries of his farmland following land consolidation by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre. The process, intended to optimize land use, inadvertently led to confusion regarding property lines and the layout of the fields. This ambiguity created a pressing need for clarity, as accurate boundaries are essential for effective farming and resource management.
"Land consolidation is not widespread in our region. It came to us once and our fields were more consolidated and improved. There are 15 plots whose boundaries have changed during this land adjustment," said Ibrahim. Without a clear understanding of where one parcel ends and another begins, the risk of overlapping crops or misallocation of resources increases significantly.
Ibrahim realized that relying solely on traditional methods to re-establish these boundaries would be both time-consuming and inefficient. Driving tractors to re-confirm the boundaries and establish reference lines would incur unnecessary time costs and fuel expenses, detracting from the overall productivity of his farming operations.
The Boundary Unclearness Clarified by FMS
While thinking about how to solve this, Ibrahim realized that FJD's farm management systems (FMS) could be the answer. He has been using FMS for his daily farming practices, from setting guidance lines to finding his tractors. This practical system has offered him a more scientific approach to managing his farm and optimizing farming strategies."I use FMS all the time, especially when I constantly check what the tractor is doing and where it is." Ibrahim owns a fleet of three tractors, each with distinct horsepower ratings of 90, 95, and 120 horsepower, respectively. He uses these tractors for different farming work from tilling, plowing, and planting, to harvesting. To maximize machinery productivity on this farm, he utilizes FMS to manage the fleet of these tractors.
As for the border revision as a result of the government's land consolidation, Ibrahim learned that FMS could quickly import and export boundary files in Shapefile formats and allow for seamless file transfer to his autosteering system. He decided to implement FMS to streamline the process of boundary confirmation, which turned out to be quite an easy and smooth process.
"When the borders of some fields are unclear, I upload the official shape file downloaded from the government's parcel inquiry site to FMS. This helps me automatically set the field boundaries with the tractor," explained Ibrahim, when talking about inquiring the parcel information by region, city, village, and parcel number from the website of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.
By using FMS, he could operate within the correct boundaries without requiring extensive manual labor or additional fuel costs. After confirming the boundaries of his farmland, Ibrahim created guidance lines such as AB lines based on these boundaries in the FMS platform. He also used FMS to record work data, analyze complete tasks, and generate reports to improve the farming efficiency of future jobs.
Ibrahim continued, "Using FMS solves many of our problems. I use this system for all my lands." FMS has provided him with robust support for more efficient farm management practices overall. With FMS on his side, Ibrahim has more time for mission-critical things and, most importantly, spending time with his family."