Determining Optimal Cropping Pattern in the East Region Farming Lands of Isfahan, Using Goal Programming Approach

Optimal using of soil and water resources leads to their conservation and farmer's income growth. This study aims to determine the optimal cropping pattern in the farms of east rural region of Isfahan. Several goals such as maximizing cultivated area, net returns, employment, and also conservation and sustainability of the water resources were considered simultaneously. After gathering of needed data from several resources and interviewing with experts and processing them, a mathematical model was formulated by using multi criteria goal programming (GP) technique and solved by LINDO software for the study area. Based on the results, rice, sugar beet and alfalfa were eliminated from the cropping pattern and the cultivated areas of potatoes and corn were increased. Wheat, barley and silage maize have had almost the same area in both existing and optimum cropping patterns and the area of onion has been reduced. In addition, there was an increase in net returns by26.2 and 38.2 percent, employment by 15.1 and 2.2 percent and also decreasing of water consumption by 10.7 and 9.7 percent respectively in the north and south Baraan rural regions. Therefore, advising farmers to adopt such techniques could be beneficial to them and the region.