Biçme

Biçme is a term used in Turkish agriculture to describe the act of cutting vegetation for harvest or forage. It commonly refers to mowing grass in meadows to produce hay or to harvesting grain crops. The word derives from biçmek, meaning “to cut” or “to harvest,” with the nominalizing suffix -me, and it can denote both the process itself and the period in which it occurs.

Historically, biçme was done manually with tools such as a sickle (orak) or a scythe, but today it is largely performed with mechanized equipment, including mowing machines and forage harvesters attached to tractors. After cutting, the material is typically left to dry to become hay, then raked and baled for storage; in cereal crops, the cut is followed by harvest and threshing.

The timing of biçme depends on crop type, climate, and regional practices. For hay, suitable moisture conditions for drying are important, while for meadows the mowing schedule may aim to balance yield with pasture regrowth for the next season. In many regions, biçme is integrated with other agricultural practices such as fertilization and irrigation to optimize quality and yield.

See also: harvest, haymaking, mowing, forage production.