Multi Crop Optimization Using Linear Programming Model for Maximum Net Benefit

Abstract

The water used for agriculture is 70% globally. This has resulted in new methods of saving water. Hence water saving techniques has to be practiced. In water resources planning and management, optimization techniques is used for limited use of resources such as such as water, land, production cost, manpower, fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides. For cultivating each crop, the land area needs to be planned properly. Hence the crop pattern has to be decided optimally depending on available water resources and on economic basis. Therefore farmer needs to be educated to adopt optimum cropping pattern which maximises the economic returns. Hence the study is taken up to optimize the allocation of land areas to crops. The objective function for multi crop model were formulated using linear programming for maximizing the net benefits. The study resulted in optimal cropping pattern for different water availabilities ranging from 2000 Ha-m to 5500 Ha-m. The maximum net benefit for the study area varied from Rs. 53.2 Crores for 2000 Ha-m water availability to Rs.78 Crores at 5000 Ha-m water availability.