A two-level approach to geospatial identification of optimal pitaya cultivation sites using multi-criteria decision analysis

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Selim S., San B. T., Koç San D., Selim C.

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, cilt.1, ss.1-12, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/jsfa.14297
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Periodicals Index Online, Aerospace Database, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Analytical Abstracts, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Communication Abstracts, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, INSPEC, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, DIALNET, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-12
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

BACKGROUND

Pitaya, also known as dragon fruit, is one of the most popular and expensive fruits in the world. It has been commercially produced since the early 20th century. This plant requires a specific growing environment and ecological conditions, so it is typically cultivated under greenhouse conditions in Türkiye. However, there is a clear need for a comprehensive assessment of outdoor adaptation and/or outdoor growing areas for sustainable yield at the regional scale.

RESULTS

This study presents a multi-criteria decision-making analysis-based geographical information system (GIS) study to identify and evaluate the suitability of outdoor growing areas for pitaya. In this study, eight crucial factors were identified for outdoor pitaya cultivation: temperature, rainfall, soil pH, soil depth, land use capability, altitude, slope and aspect. An analytical hierarchy process was conducted to determine the weights for each parameter, followed by a weighted overlay analysis using GIS tools. The range of weight values was obtained between 0.2748 and 0.0319. The area of the best places for pitaya cultivation was calculated to be 9245.7 ha (11.7%). It was determined that 32.63%, 37.57% and 18.1% of the locations were moderately suitable, less appropriate and unsuitable, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The selection of comparable production sites will be guided by the study. Such suitable site selection studies are extremely significant since the cultivation of the pitaya plant, which has a high commercial value for economically developing countries, will be crucial to the growth of agricultural employment in these nations. Future research will be guided by this study's methodology and analysis strategies.