Effects of social, political and economic criteria on optimization of saffron cropping pattern by using shuffled frog leaping algorithm

Cropping pattern is considered as one of the most important parameters of water resources management. Determining the cropping pattern for an agricultural area has many unknowns’ variablrs. Cropping typing, of the cultureable, culture percentage, amont of the water requirement, employment, the profitability of each crop and the amount of available water resources are factors that have effective in determining the appropriate cropping pattern. This research aims were extend optimal model of plant pattern determined by heuristic model of shuffled frog leaping algorithm. For these purposes, economic and social factors of net income, job engagement and minimization of water use, crop production cost and virtual water trade amounts were used. The factor weights were calculated based on collected data by analytical heuristic processes method (AHP). Two different scenarios were performed based on the mentioned dimensionless parameters. In the first scenario, the results showed that saffron, cucurbits, cumin and vegetables had the most land area (by considering limitations), while in the second scenario (which was cultivated land area with more limitations) saffron and cucurbits with 34.8 and 32.5% of total cultivated area had highest cultivated area, respectively. Also, with respect to aridity of the region, water use in two suggestive scenarios compared to the basic crop pattern reduced by the amounts of 14 and 20%, respectively.