Optimal Allocation of Farm Irrigation Water during Peak Seasons

Abstract

Abstract The paper presents a system analysis approach to the allocation of scarce water during peak seasons to alternative crops and plots, using soil moisture response functions for the key crops. The system contains a linear programming model intended to maximize the farm's income and a dynamic programming model, which generates new irrigation scheduling activities in response to the shadow prices of water given by linear programming solutions. The “generalized Wolfe” LP algorithm is applied. An application to a cotton farm is presented.