Quantified analysis of selected land use systems in the Larissa Region, Greece

A dynamic crop-growth simulation model was developed, based on the "Wageningen modelling approach", calibrated and applied for quantified land evaluation purposes in the Larissa (east Thessaly) plain, Greece.The soil and climate conditions were studied in detail in three sample areas with a total extent of about 10,000 hectares. The geology, geomorphology and hydrology, and the human environment were studied as well.Crop data were collected in field experiments with maize, cotton and wheat in 1987 through 1989. The growth of widely used maize and cotton cultivars was studied in Larissa and Thessaloniki in 1987 and 1988; a durum (spring) wheat cultivar was studied in Larissa in 1989 and in Spata (Athens) in 1991.Land data were collected for calculation of the water-limited production potential, which is within the reach of the farmers in the Larissa area. A full land evaluation of the whole area was not done. Rather, it was demonstrated that the model developed allows to quantify the impact of selected limitations on the performance of land-use systems as a basis for land suitability classification.