Optimization of water use in the Gorutuba irrigation district, Minas Gerais (Brazil) using the linear programming model

摘要

This research was developed with the objective of selecting the crops and planting dates in order to maximize the farmers income and the water resources in the Gorutuba Irrigation District. A linear programming model was used with an objective function to maximize the monthly income as a function of the cultivated area with the crops used in the region, subjected to the restrictions of the irrigated area and the availability of water. The net income differences obtained in the optimization with and without restriction in the cultivated area of yearly crops were 15.2% and 10.2%, for the large and the small farm plots, respectively. The water distribution system does not limit the crop selection in the irrigation district. The difference in the net income caused by the crops used was influenced more by the type of irrigation systems than by the soil water holding capacity.