Research on Comparison of Sweet Cherry Farms in Terms of Adopting Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs): Evidence from Turkey

The purpose of the study was to conduct a comparison of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) farms in terms of adopting good agricultural practices (GAPs) in the Isparta Province of Turkey. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the farms. From the total sweet cherry farms in the research area, an estimated sample size of 98 sweet cherry farms was calculated. Sweet cherry farms applying and not applying GAPs were compared using a chi-square test of independence to determine some characteristics of these categories. The result of the analyses showed that there was a significant difference between farms applying and not applying GAPs, according to the size of farmland, size of cherry production area, farming experience, use of internet, cooperative membership of farmers, agricultural credit use, participation of farmers in agricultural extension activities, farmers taking out agricultural insurance, participation of farmers in non-farm activities, application of biological control, application of soil tillage techniques preventing erosion, using farm manure, irrigation water risk testing, soil or leaf analysis and recording the amount and time of fertilizer used. Based on these findings, extension activities must be target-oriented on GAPs. To ensure more efficient extension services to farmers about GAPs, agricultural extension activities of local extension actors in the research area should be strengthened.