The optimization of the paddy field irrigation scheduling using mathematical programming

Abstract

In planting rice, a significant amount of irrigation water is required to prepare the farmlands and do transplanting and this is directly related to the number of machines and workers available; that is, the more the length of plowing and transplanting process due to the lack of required machinery and labor, the more the water volume consumed. Therefore, in such conditions, it is important to have an appropriate planning for the optimized allocation of machinery and labor for the agricultural lands. Determining the optimal times of opening and closing valves based on the factors directly influencing the volume of the water in paddy fields is also of great importance. To meet the above conditions and by using linear and non-linear programming, two different models are developed in this article, with the purpose of reducing the time period of plowing and transplanting operations and also lowering the water consumption, respectively. Comparing the outputs of these two models with the real irrigation situation demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed models.