ALKU represents Türkiye in the Horizon Europe BIO-CROP Project.
Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ) represents Turkey in the BIO-CROP – “Bio-Based Agroecosystem Transitions in the Baltic and Nordic Regions through Integrated Relay Cropping Systems” project, supported under the Horizon Europe AGROECOLOGY Partnership. The 36-month project aims to develop agroecological production systems, improve soil health and biodiversity, reduce dependence on agricultural inputs, and disseminate climate change-resilient sustainable agricultural models. Within this scope, the Multilayer Relay Cropping Systems (MRCS) approach, based on the integrated cultivation of different plant species in terms of time and space, will be tested under real production conditions with the participation of farmers and researchers using a Living Lab model.
The project, coordinated by Lithuania, involves nine institutions from Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Finland, France, and Türkiye. The Turkish leg of the project is led by Prof. Dr. Atılgan Atılgan, a faculty member in the Biosystems Engineering Department of the Rafet Kayış Faculty of Engineering at ALKÜ. ALKÜ will contribute to the project through agroecological training, farmer training, demonstration of low-input biological practices, and the establishment of a training-demonstration Living Lab in Turkey.
The project's international Kick-off meeting was held on March 17-18, 2026, at the Vytautas Magnus University Agricultural Academy in Lithuania, thus launching the project activities.
