Current status and potential improvements for under-cover production systems in Çarşamba town of Samsun province

This study was conducted to assess the structural and environmental conditions and potential problems of under-cover production systems of Çarşamba town, which constitute about 87.81% of under-cover production potential of Samsun Province through comprehensive literature search and to develop possible solutions towards these problems. The areas with widespread under-cover production systems in Çarşamba town were determined with the recommendations of technical staff employed at Town Directorate of Agricultural Food and Livestock. Along with their recommendations, information and statistical data were gathered about the under-cover production enterprises, their sizes, types and cover materials through stratified sampling method. Selected facilities were analyzed for their structural characteristics, production techniques, technology use, environmental conditions through surveys, drawings, observations and photographs. Present findings revealed that all of the family type under-cover production systems are composed of individual (single) constructions. Facility owners had quite low level of education and under-cover production systems constituted a significant place in their economic statuses. Under-cover production systems were mostly lack of technology because of financial burdens and unplanned production activities. Ventilation, heating and cooling systems, playing a significant role in control of environmental conditions, were mostly insufficient and relevant design criteria were not mostly taken into consideration. With this study, potential problems were identified, structural and environmental requirements of under-cover production systems were determined, and recommendations were provided to producers accordingly.