Site selection for avocado cultivation using GIS and multi-criteria decision analyses: Case study of Antalya, Turkey

Site selection for agricultural products is an important research area because determining accurate areas is essential for the successful growth of the products and for sustainable agriculture. The purpose of this study is to select suitable sites for avocado cultivation using geographical information system (GIS)-based multi-criteria decision Analysis (MCDA). Seven important factors for the growth of avocado trees were determined: forest border, slope, permeability, soil depth, land use capability, protected areas/forbidden zones, and average and minimum temperature. In the study, the overlay and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) analyses were used and integrated for efficient evaluation of the determined factors. The proposed approach was implemented in the Antalya province of Turkey, which has great potential for avocado production due to its climatic and environmental conditions. As a result, 602.12 km(2) and 653.14 km(2) areas were determined to be the most suitable and moderately suitable for avocado cultivation, respectively. Using two MCDA analyses and determining the intersection areas in the site-selection studies would be robust. By using this methodology, suitable lands for avocado cultivation were determined effectively and accurately.