Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
APPLIED FRUIT SCIENCE, cilt.68, sa.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The allocation of agricultural lands to residential and tourism sectors has increased the importance of sustainable land management and conservation. T & uuml;rkiye is a significant producer and exporter of lemons. The province of Mersin accounts for approximately 53% of T & uuml;rkiye's lemon production and serves as the center for the country's lemon export activities. To ensure the efficient use of land in the region and to achieve sustainable and optimal benefits without damaging natural resources, a land suitability assessment was conducted covering an area of 1700.44 ha using geographic information systems (GIS) and geostatistical methods. Production areas were classified into low-medium, and high-quality categories. The economic analysis of lemon production revealed that the highest relative profitability ratios were 1.25 for high-quality soils, 1.19 for medium-quality soils, and 1.10 for low-quality soils. In the production function developed for lemon cultivation, the production elasticities of fertilizer (X1) and irrigation (X2) were significant in low-quality soils; pesticide application (X3) was significant in medium-quality soils; and fertilizer (X1) and labor (X4) were significant in high-quality soils. The sum of the production elasticity coefficients in the equation indicates decreasing returns to scale across all three groups. Marginal efficiency coefficients of the factors were found to be below 1 in all groups, reflecting intensive use of inputs and a labor-intensive production structure, especially in the cultivation of fresh fruits and vegetables. Production on unsuitable land results in excessive use of inputs. In agricultural enterprises, alongside the efficient and effective use of resources, sustainability, soil quality, and environmental factors must not be overlooked.