Climatic Suitability Analysis and Evaluation of Pomological Characteristics for Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Cultivation in Kırşehir Province

Öz

This study was conducted within the boundaries of Kırşehir Province, located between 38°50'–39°50' north latitude and 33°30'–34°50' east longitude. The research material consisted of the climatic and topographic parameters of Kırşehir and its districts, as well as walnut samples collected from these regions. Climatic factors considered included annual total precipitation, minimum temperature, number of days with temperatures below 5°C, relative humidity in spring and summer, number of days temperatures exceeding 30°C, and wind speed. Climatic data covering the period between 2013 and 2023 were obtained from the Kırşehir Provincial Meteorological Directorate. Data from eight meteorological stations located in Akçakent, Akpınar, Boztepe (Malya), Çiçekdağı, Çiçekdağı TİGEM, Kaman, Kırşehir, and Mucur were used in the analysis. The spatial distribution of climatic parameters was modeled using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation method in ArcGIS Pro 3.2. Topographic features such as slope and aspect were derived from a 25-meter resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) obtained via the Earth Explorer (USGS) platform. All climatic and topographic layers were weighted according to the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and a Weighted Overlay Analysis was performed to generate the climatic suitability map for walnut cultivation. In addition, walnut samples were collected from selected representative orchards across all districts for pomological evaluation. Pomological traits such as fruit weight, kernel ratio, and shell thickness were measured using a digital caliper and a precision balance on 30 samples to assess the pomological properties of local genotypes and support the regional walnut production potential. According to the results, the most suitable areas for walnut cultivation are concentrated in the northwestern part of Kaman District, particularly around the Hirfanlı Dam, and in the northeastern parts of Çiçekdağı and Boztepe districts. The highest nut and kernel weights were recorded in Kaman and Çiçekdağı districts (P<0.05).

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kırşehir
• Walnut cultivation
• Climatic suitability
• AHP
• Weighted Overlay
• Pomological characteristics

Kaynakça

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