Effects of Heat and Drought Stress on Sustainable Agriculture and Future Food Security in Türkiye

This review investigates the effects of heat and drought stress on future food security of Turkish agriculture. Temperature average is expected to rise to 3.2°C at the end of the current century while annual precipitation will decline more than 10% in the west and south and rise by 20% in the north of Türkiye, implying that climate change will affect ecosystem sustainability. It is therefore crucial to develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change such as adjusting the planting schedule, reduced tillage, fertiliser microdosing, pre-sowing seed treatment, and the application of growth promoting bacteria to improve tolerance to stress by comprehending how plants respond physiologically and biochemically under these stress conditions. Long-term heat stress may hinder photosynthetic electron transport, decreasing the plant's ability to make use of energy for photosynthesis. The immediate response of plants under drought stress involves closing stomatal openings to reduce water loss through stomatal conductance. Combined heat and drought stress have a greater adverse effect on plant development and production than their effects in isolation. Plant phenotyping can play a major role in “climate-proofing” Turkish agriculture through the identification and development of crop varities with improved prouctivity, climate resilience and input requirements. Digital agriculture will also improve the efficiency of Turkish agricultural systems as the adapt to a hotter drier climate. To ensure future food security and the viability of the agro-economic system in Türkiye steps must be taken to make Turkish agriculture more robust in preparation for the impacts of climate change.