Optimization of the crop cultivation in the Shabestar plain underwater constraint

According to Iran's semi-arid and dry climate, water as one of the limiting factors of production plays an important role in determining the type and combination of farming activities. Adverse effects of reduction of Water Resources in many areas of Iran's agriculture are considerable. It seems that these undesirable effects are so evident in Shabestar plain as one of the agricultural poles of the West Azerbayjan province and excessive underground water harvesting have affected the agricultural sustainability of the case study region. Determining optimal cropping pattern according to the resources and constraints of each region is considered as one approaches to the evolution in the agricultural system and moving towards sustainability. The main purpose of this study is to determine the optimal cropping pattern in the Shabestar plain subject to the water constraint. For this purpose, linear programming and goal programming methods were used, under some scenarios in order to achieve maximum profit and minimum water consumption. The results of optimal pattern under profit maximization goal show that the profit and water consumption increase by 382.2 and 44.3 percent respectively and also minimizing water consumption objective associates with decreasing 90.6 and 22.78 percent framing profit and water consumption, respectively. However, considering the optimal cropping pattern under the scenario of achieving profit maximization and minimum water consumption simultaneously, shows profit increase by 1.1 percent and water consumption decrease by 4.71 percent. Under this situation, the acreage of irrigated barley, rained barley and rapeseed had increased.