The Use of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) Methods for the Determination of the Present and Potential Pistachio Growing Areas; Sanliurfa-Suruc Case

Identifying potentially suitable lands for cultivated crops is economically crucial. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) are very significant tools in achieving this goal. In the near future the Sanliurfa-Suruc Plain can be more valuable for the people of the region in terms of both crop variety and economical perspective once the irrigation is started and more than one crop each year is harvested. Pistachio is one of the chief productions among others that are well adapted to the conditions of the region. Also the fact that pistachio can be grown economically in the unsuitable areas for cultivated agriculture further enhances its significance for the region. In this study, current pistachio growing areas and also the potentially suitable lands to grow pistachio in the Sanliurfa-Suruc Plain were determined using a satellite image obtained in 2004 and the model developed by Sahin (2007), respectively. The model performs geographical analysis incorporating soil, topography and climate information in order to determine land suitability for particular crops under certain conditions. Overall the results showed that pistachio growing areas in 2004 was around 17,254 ha, whereas the potential fields were as much as 30,785 ha according to the model results suggesting that planted areas for pistachio can be doubled. It seems that shallow and stony areas may even be better suited for pistachio compared to currently pistachio growing areas of the plain.