A GIS Methodological Proposal to Evaluate Suitable Areas for Greenhouse Installation

Transcription

1 A GIS Methodological Proposal to Evaluate Suitable Areas for Greenhouse Installation D. Castronuovo 1,a, V. Miccolis 1 and V. Candido 1 Department of Crop Systems, Forestry and Environmental Sciences University of Basilicata Potenza Italy C. Manera 1 Technical and Economical Department University of Basilicata Potenza Italy Keywords: energy saving, geo-statistics, land evaluation, map algebra Abstract Nowadays in Italy about 30% of greenhouses are conditioned and a part of them are also monitored by computers that, using specific softwares, are able to control temperature, humidity, CO 2 content, intensity and light duration, etc., making the greenhouse microclimate as suitable as possible for vegetable crops and flower needs. Economically, this control and conditioning can be very expensive especially if greenhouses have been localized and built in an area that, for its climatic and/or morphological characteristics, is not appropriate. Therefore, to choose the right localization where to build up greenhouses a framework can be useful to decrease energy expending and technical inputs. This paper illustrates a GIS (Geographical Information System) methodological proposal with the aim to evaluate the suitability of Basilicata Region (Southern Italy) land for greenhouse installation with respect to energy saving. Ten years climatic data, recorded in 37 different stations, Basilicata morphological characteristics (elevation, slope, etc.) and land cover information have been inputted and processed to develop the proposed method, that takes advantage by geo-statistics (predictive Kriging) and map algebra potentialities that the modern GIS offers. Data have undergone geo-statistical analysis to create predictive layers, that by mean of map algebra operations have generated firstly two intermediate maps (climatic and morphological suitability for greenhouse setting) and then the final map, that shows the suggested Basilicata Region areas useful for greenhouse installation. Results have reported that in Basilicata Region there are two possible district areas suitable for greenhouse allocations in which climatic trends, morphological characteristics and general facilities better fix protected cultivations needs with reference to lower energy inputs. INTRODUCTION Agricultural systems based on the use of greenhouses are able to obtain high quantity and quality of production but, on the other hand, are characterized by an intensive use of technical means, in particular energy for conditioning (Bisaglia et al., 2007). In this view and considering the actual high cost of energy supply, the need for energy cost reduction becomes a major research issue (Bakker et al., 2008). For instance, in Italy the cost for energy consumption used for conditioning is about 30% of the total production cost (De Pascale and Maggio, 2004). In particular, greenhouses conditioning can be very expensive especially if facilities have been localized and built in not appropriate locations (Luca et al., 1996). In this paper, a Geographical Information System (GIS) method to assess the suitability of Basilicata Region (Southern Italy) land for greenhouse location is proposed. a castronuovo@unibas.it 1 Authors equally shared this paper. Proc. IS on High Technology for Greenhouse Systems - GreenSys2009 Ed.: M. Dorais Acta Hort. 893, ISHS

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS Ordinary kriging, map algebra and spatial analysis were used in order to implement a simple and effective GIS methodology capable to put together different input data to have a final map showing the suitability of an area to a particular use, such as the land capability for greenhouses framework location. Study Area The study area is the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy) 9, km 2 and divided into two provinces: Potenza and Matera. The whole territory, especially in the Potenza province, is mainly mountainous (46.8%) and hilly (45.2%) and just 8% is classified as flat valley. The Region is characterized by a broad fluvial network with five main rivers (Bradano, Basento, Cavone, Agri and Sinni) that flow into the Ionian sea. Climatically it is possible to divide the Region into two different areas, one of them, typical of the Potenza province, characterized by precipitations of about 1200 mm per year, winter temperature quite cold and dry summers, and the other one, distinctive of the Matera province, with precipitations of about 600 mm per year, mild winters and very dry summers. Input Data and Elaborations Base data input used to implement the GIS of the suitable areas for greenhouse installation in Basilicata Region have been: (i) topographic maps at the scale of 1:50000 of the Italian Geographic Institute (IGMI); (ii) land use map (CORINE Land Cover); (iii) basic meteorological data, provided by the Basilicata Agency for Agricultural Development and Innovation (ALSIA). These consisted of climatic parameters (air temperature, air relative humidity, precipitation, direct radiant energy, speed and wind direction) of 10 years observation ( ) recorded by 37 weather stations spread quite homogeneously throughout the studied area. Elaborations started with the implementation of the DTM (Digital Terrain Model) coverage using the numerical cartography and extrapolating from them the graphic elements (contour and spot heights) that characterize the land altimetry. Subsequently, through the GIS software altimetric strips, slope and aspect layers were implemented. The mean values of the ten years historical climatic data, using the GIS Geostatistical Analyst module, were undergone to ordinary kriging in order to create prediction maps regarding: (i) minimum air temperature, (ii) maximum air temperature, (iii) minimum air relative humidity, (iv) maximum air relative humidity, (v) precipitation, (vi) direct radiant energy, (vii) wind velocity, (viii) number of days with minimum air temperature minor of 5 C, (ix) number of days with maximum air temperature major of 32 C. Therefore, to make spatial intersections between layers possible, by using GIS map algebra tools, rasterization and weighting of each thematic map were made. The values of weights attributed to the classes of input thematic information coverages ranged between 0 and 10, according to the increasing order of suitability for greenhouse installations (Tables 1 to 10). In this way, the areas with a weight of zero are unable to accept greenhouse installations, on the contrary, ten marks the areas that have the maximum aptitude. The assignment of weights to each class was made according to criteria which include the study of literature on the subject and, above all, using specific information from researchers in the field of protected cultivations (La Malfa et al., 1985; Manera et al., 2001; Castilla and Hernandez, 2007; Baeza et al., 2008; Giacomelli et al., 2008; Montero et al., 2009). In this study, the algebraic multiplication operator was applied to the weight filled of each the input layers database. This method enabled to have two intermediate layers that underwent reclassification having four classes of greenhouse location aptitude, that from the worst one to the better one were definite as: null, low, intermediate and high. Moreover, these layers were subjected to weighting and map algebra interaction to 902

3 produce the final map, that is the Basilicata Region land capability to greenhouse framework location. RESULTS The above-explained methodology of weighting and map algebra calculations applied to altimetric strips, slope, aspect and land use thematic layers has enabled the realization of the morphological capability of greenhouse framework installation coverage. Once implemented the two intermediate thematic coverages, it was possible to operate on them another elaboration of thematic map algebra to get the final layer of synthesis, namely the map of aptitude to the location of areas suitable for greenhouse installations in Basilicata Region. DISCUSSION The analysis of the implemented thematic layers of synthesis has provided the following information. The study of the morphological capability map of greenhouse framework installations has stressed that the Basilicata Region territory can be divided and classified as following: 716,632 ha (71.76% of the whole study area) having null aptitude for greenhouse localization; 105,060 ha (10.52%) with low aptitude; 135,775 ha (13.60%) with an intermediate aptitude; 41,128 ha (4.12%) with a high capability of location of areas suitable for greenhouse installations. The climatic aptitude map shows that 77.75% of the Basilicata Region territory is unable to accept greenhouse framework installations; 12.25% has obtained a low aptitude; 7.42% of the studied area reached a medium aptitude; and just 2.48% of the territory showed a high aptitude for greenhouse framework locations. Finally, considering the layer of the Basilicata Region capability for the location of areas suitable for greenhouse framework installations (Fig. 1), obtained through GIS spatial analysis and map algebra, highlighted the following situation: (i) 73.25% of the studied area, accounting for 731,500 ha, showed a null aptitude to localize suitable areas to greenhouse framework installations: these territories are identified in the western part of the Basilicata Region, where Apennine hill formations are present. (ii) 12.00% of the investigated territory, amounting for 119,852 ha and sited very close the Ionian coastline and in the north-western part of the Basilicata Region next to the border with the Apulia Region, demonstrated a low aptitude for greenhouse framework location. (iii) 10.58% of the territory extended on 105,608 ha, placed mainly beside the coastal Ionian in the Metapontino area and in the central-eastern part of the study area, recorded an intermediate aptitude for greenhouse framework location. (iv) 4.17% of the studied territory, amounting for 41,635 ha, demonstrated a high aptitude to the location of areas suitable for greenhouse framework installations: these territories can be identified mainly in the south-east and in the north-east part of the Basilicata Region. CONCLUSIONS The use of the basic thematic layers, the implementation of new maps and their subsequent combination by spatial analysis and map algebra, through the use of modern GIS, has made possible the realization of a synthesis thematic coverage recording the location of areas suitable for greenhouse framework installation in Basilicata Region. The careful analysis of the synthesis map highlighted that in the Basilicata Region there are not many areas suitable for a useful introduction of greenhouse frameworks, characterized by an efficient balance between all input factors related to the production. The only areas where it would be more proper to build up greenhouses can be found in the flat tableland of the Metaponto area and, secondarily, in the north-eastern part of the Region. 903

4 Finally, the availability of more meteorological data related to a larger historical series and the installation of more weather stations, especially in the north-west part of Basilicata, is considered necessary in order to cover the territory more homogeneously. Indeed, it is precisely the lack of adequate basic information (maps, databases, meteorological data, etc.), the real factor limiting the use and development of GIS for a modern, flexible and functional planning of the Basilicata Region territory. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The financial support for the national FLORENER project was provided by the Italian Ministry of agricultural, alimentary and forestry policies. Authors acknowledge Dr. Emanuele Scalcione from the Basilicata Agency for Agricultural Development and Innovation (ALSIA) for supplying of meteorological data. Literature Cited Baeza, E.J., Perez-Parra, J.J., Lopez, J.C. and Montero, J.I CFD Simulation of natural ventilation of a parral greenhouse with a baffle device below the greenhouse vents. Acta Hort. 801: Bakker, J.C., Adams, S.R., Boulard, T. and Montero, J.I Innovative technologies for an efficient use of energy. Acta Hort. 801: Bisaglia, C., Cutini, M., Romano, E., Frangi, P., Miccolis, V., Candido, V., Fedrizzi, M., Menesatti, P., Santoro, G., Minuto, G. and Tinivella, F Trends and perspectives for the optimal use of energy in ornamental plant production and distribution in Italy. Acta Hort. 801: Castilla, N. and Hernandez, J Greenhouse technological packages for high-quality crop production. Acta Hort. 761: De Luca, V., Manera, C. and Mazza, S Previsione del Fabbisogno Energetico per l Attività Produttiva in Serra sul Territorio della Basilicata. Rivista di Ingegneria Agraria 3: De Pascale, S. and Maggio, A Sustainable protected cultivation at Mediterranean climate. Prospectives and Challanges. Acta Hort. 691: Giacomelli, G., Castilla, N., van Henten, E., Mears, D. and Sase, S Innovation in greenhouse engineering. Acta Hort. 801: La Malfa, G Serre e Tunnel vol. n. 6. REDA Edizioni per l Agricoltura. Manera, C., Margiotta, S. and Castronuovo, D A methodological approach to define Pollino s National Park grazing attitude by GIS. Proceeding of the International Symposium Agribuilding, p Montero, J.I., Stanghellini, C. and Castilla, N Greenhouse technology for sustainable production in mild winter climate areas: trends and needs. Acta Hort. 807: Tables Table 1. ing (major values means better suitability for greenhouses installations) of the altimetric strips layer. Table 2. ing of the slope layer. Slope (%) Altimetric strip (m a.s.l.) > >

5 Table 3. ing of the aspect layer. Table 4. ing of the min air temperature layer. Aspect Temperature ( C) Flat North North-east East South-east South South-west West North-west Table 5. ing of the max air temperature layer. Table 6. ing of the min air relative humidity layer. Temperature ( C) Air relative humidity (%) < Table 7. ing of the max air relative humidity layer. Table 8. ing of the average precipitation layer. Air relative humidity (%) Average precipitation (mm)

6 Table 9. ing of the number of days with minimum air temperature minor of 5 C layer. Table 10. ing of the number of days with minimum air temperature major of 32 C layer. Number of days with air temp. minor of 5 C Number of days with air temp. major of 32 C Figures Fig. 1. Map of the Basilicata Region capability of areas suitable for greenhouse framework installations. 906