غلامرضا پیکانی

Among the critically forbidden plains of Tehran province, Varamin plain is more critical. The agricultural sector in this plain consumes more than 80 percent of the underground water resources. In the Varamin plain, most farmers tend to use traditional irrigation methods such as flood and leaky irrigation to irrigate their lands. According to economists, the reason for the low efficiency of irrigation and the loss of water resources in this sector, which has led to the current situation of the Varamin plain, is the low price of water compared to the other inputs. Therefore, it is essential to review the current method of water pricing and determine the reasonable water price in this plain. So, this study was conducted to answer these questions: What is the economic value of water in the Varanin plain? How can a change in water price affect the crop pattern and the farmers' profit? What are the responses of farmers to changing the price of this input? How much can a rise in water prices save the water input? Answering these questions can be a step towards modifying the pattern of water consumption in the Varamin plain. Therefore, this study aimed at calculating the economic value of the water and then, analyzing the impact of an increase in water price on farmers' reactions and the crop pattern in the Varamin plain.

The economic value of water was estimated through two methods calculating the residual value by subtracting the cost of all inputs except water from the income for each product and evaluating the shadow price of water using Positive Mathematical Programming (PMP). Then, the impacts of water price changes on the crop pattern, water consumption, and farmers' profits were estimated using PMP model. The water demand function and water elasticity also were estimated by a stepwise increase of 5 percent in the water price in the third stage of the PMP model. The required data was collected by completing 120 questionnaires using the stratified sampling method and proportional allocation from the farmers of three cities in the Varamin plain including Varamin, Pishva and Pakdasht in the cropping year of 2019-2020. The data were collected for six crops (wheat, barley, corn, alfalfa, cucumber, and tomato), including the quantity and price of production and the quantity and price of inputs (land, seed, fertilizers, pesticide, water, labor, and machinery) in the concerned cities.  

The weighted average of each cubic meter of water using the residual value as well as the shadow price methods were equal to 35769.8 and 23917.6 IRI rials, respectively. This result shows a big difference between the economic value and the price paid by farmers, which is between seven to ten-folds. The results of estimating the demand function of water showed that the water demand elasticity was equal to zero up to the price of 27386.1 IRI rials. At higher prices, the farmers responded to the increase in water price, and the elasticity of water demand was equal to -2.15 on average. Based on the results, the shadow price of water obtained from PMP model (23917.6 IRI rials) does not affect the crop pattern and the water consumption, although it reduces farmers' profit by 48.66 percent. The economic price of water obtained using residual value method (23917.6 IRI rials) causes a decrease of 36.84 percent in the cultivated area, a 25.24 percent reduction in the water consumption, and a 74.59 percent reduction in the profit. Most of the change in the cultivated area was related to barley. Although, this crop consumes less water per hectare than other crops, the share of water cost per kilogram of barley is higher than the other products. After barley, the cultivated area of wheat, alfalfa, corn, cucumber, and tomato would respectively decrease for the same reason.

The results showed that applying the policy of increasing the price of water up to its economic value led to a decrease in farmers' profits and might reduce their motivation in production. In addition, applying this policy suddenly can lead to adverse reactions such as resistance and avoidance of paying this water price, social tensions, and public discontent. Therefore, gradually adjusting and increasing water prices for a long time was suggested. By adopting this policy, gradually, agricultural water consumption would decrease, and the cropping pattern would shift toward water-saving crops.

Iran is located in a part of the Northern Hemisphere climate cycle where there is air mass subsidence; as a result, over two-thirds of this country has arid and semi-arid climate. The main challenges facing Iran water resources are the annual decline in renewable water resources, increase in the number of water pollutants, and aquifer over-exploitation, putting drainage basins in a precarious position. In keeping with this, the present paper studied the factors affecting this instability in Iran’s drainage basins in terms of water poverty. To this end, using water poverty index (WPI) of Iran’s drainage basins and the affecting factors, social, economic, and environmental data were collected for 2016. Results revealed that the average WPI in all the drainage basins is 43.73. Among the components, resources and consumption have the lowest values, i.e. 19.24 and 36.85, respectively. In terms of WPI ranking, the basins of Daranjir Desert, South-Baluchistan, Hamun-e Jaz Murian, Qara Su and Gorgan, Kal and Mehran, Bandar Abbas, and Sedij are precarious and instable, and the basins of Sefidrood, Persian Gulf (western border), lake Urmiah, and Karun lack water deficit stress and have yield stability. Therefore, the author(s) recommend that the study and examination of water resources be conducted using holistic approaches in order to establish integrated management of water resources.

The aim of this study is to estimate the linkages between the actual guaranteed price of wheat and its yield in Tehran province during 2000-2018 by considering the dummy variables of development programs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study used the Augmented Dickey-Fuller stationary test, the Johansen Cointegration test, and the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to achieve the aim. The results show that the actual guaranteed price of wheat and its yield are of grade I (1), and based on the Johansen test, the long-run relationship between them is confirmed. The results of the VECM model show that the actual guaranteed price of wheat has a positive and significant effect on wheat yield in Tehran province. By a one percent increase in the actual guaranteed price of wheat, the yield will increase 1.07 percent. Also, the coefficient of vector error correction indicates that if in the short-run occurs a sudden shock to the actual guaranteed price of wheat, it will take about 2 periods to adjust the effect of this shock. Considering that the yield is elastic to the actual price of wheat, suggesting to estimate the guaranteed price of wheat, based on actual price (deflated) in the purchasing policy, can encourage the improvement of wheat yield in the country's agricultural lands.

IntroductionRecently, there is an increasing concern about the effects of pesticides on non-target organisms. Residual of pesticides cause environmental pollution and put in danger the human health. The problem is always in contact with pesticides, there are numerous risks related to the environmental and human health threat at different levels of their cycle, including production, sale, use in the field and ultimately for residue in food occurs. This study consider the harmful effects of pesticides in Hashtgerd study area and their potential and environmental risks using EIQ index. Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) is a model based on algebraic equations which by it can be classification chemical pesticides based on environmental hazards and risks to human health and toxins that cause minimal risk are selected. The ultimate purpose of this study was to determine 5 insecticide have been the highest consumption in the region Hashtgerd and then determine the potential environmental risks of them by EIQ index, so that eventually we can identify and eliminate hazardous insecticides.
Materials and MethodsHashtgerd study area is one of 609 countries study area that is located in the Alborz province. This area with an extent of about 1170 square km because of the proximity to the metropolis of Tehran and focus a large number of agricultural, industrial and service units has an important economic and political position. The numerical value of the EIQ is average of the three main components include of the potential damage to the health of farm workers, the potential damage to consumers through the direct effect of toxic residues in food products or through ground water contamination and potential negative effects on the environment, including aquatic and terrestrial organisms show. The describes components of the EIQ are contains 11 variables. All input data for the impact of low, medium and high are judged to be harmful than, the one, three or five into account. Information on types of pesticides through questionnaires and interviews with farmers of all crops and gardens in the area (120 questionnaires in four cities in the study area) were collected. Information on pesticides and their effects from data bases IUPAC and the Pesticide Manual, 1997and Crop Protection, 2003 were collected.
Results and DiscussionBecause EIQ index for imidacloprid, diazinon, malathion and phosalone pesticides has been most affected by the ecological effects, It can be concluded that in the land area that these insecticides were used, biotic intensity are at highest risk. In a study that examined environmental hazards of cotton production in Turkey, the role of ecological effects of pesticides on EIQ was more than consumer parts and farm workers. In examining of the pesticides registered in the United States, toxicity of farm workers, consumers and ecological were 37, 8 and 84/4 respectively and the final average EIQ for insecticides registered was 43/1. According to this another factor considered is the farm environmental impact of pesticides. Malathion insecticide in Hashtgerd region with farm environmental impact 42/18 as the most dangerous environmental toxins known and then insecticide diazinon that had the highest consumption in frequency of use, with farm environmental impact 41/76 was next in rank. Although Imidaclopride compared to other pesticides had a higher EIQ index so the potential toxicity was more but because of active ingredient and low dosage in terms of farm environmental impact was in third place. Therefore, with the expansion of the ecosystem-based approach to manage pests and method of integrated pest management, it can be greatly reduced environmental hazards arising from the use of insecticides. Among the major insecticides used in the Hashtgerd region potential toxicity of imidaclopride and farm environmental impact of malathion was more. The highest risk in all three components of farm workers, consumers and ecological related to Imidaclopride that has raised the most dangerous insecticides name as the main consumption in the Hashtgerd region. The results showed that based on the environmental impact index, most of environmental hazards of insecticides in the Hashtgerd region are due to lack of proper knowledge and incorrect selection of some insecticides and their use is excessive. In Imidaclopride and deltamethrin that farm workers effect of them on the final score EIQ was high, safety spraying will reduce the effects of this component by far.
ConclusionThe results showed that among major consumed insecticides in the area Hashtgerd, potential toxicity of Imidacloprid and farm Environmental impact of Malathion was greater. Highest risk of all three components of farm workers, consumers and ecological, related to Imidaclopride insecticide that referred to as the most dangerous major pesticide consumption in the Hashtgerd region.

The AquaCrop model has been used for optimum sowing date determination for maximum yield production based on historical climate data in Moghan plain, Ardabil province, Iran. Based on phonological data for the eight main cultivated crop gathering from Moghan plain and thirty years climate data, the optimum sowing dates were determined after model calibration. The model used cumulative growing degree days, effective and active base temperature and calculated harvest index to perform each crop yield. Determination coefficient, normalized root mean squared and index of agreement were 0.99, 29.16 and 0.97 respectively. The statistics showed that the model could accurately perform the crop yield estimation in this region. Based on the results the simulated sowing window for winter wheat was a little bit shorter. The winter barley also performed as winter wheat. The spring maize simulated sowing window was longer than usual period. But the simulated sowing window for winter canola, cotton, soybean and maize was the same as actual sowing window. The net Irrigation requirement in the determined planting dates have been calculated by the AquaCrop and compared with the NETWAT software outputs. In this Comparison, determination coefficient, normalized root mean squared and index of agreement were 0.92, 14.07 and 0.99 respectively. The results showed the importance of using winter precipitation in crop production in the region and lower water irrigating input using winter cultivation should be noted.

Potential yields for six cultivated crops, wheat, barley, sugar beet, cotton, maize and soybean has been calculated using the AquaCrop and radiation thermal production potential method or FAO model in Khodaafarin region, Ardabil province, Iran. Determination coefficient, normalized root mean squared and index of agreement for potential yield in AquaCrop was 0/99, 21/72 and 0/99 and for FAO model was 0/97, 54/25 and 0/96 respectively. Also for comparison between the potential biomass for AquaCrop and FAO model the Determination coefficient 0/98, 0/93, normalized root mean squared 23/55, 58/10 and index of agreement 0/98, 0/93 was calculated, respectively. Based on the results, the AquaCrop model has better performance in comparison with to FAO model. The AquaCrop using less data calculation and more outputs and applications comparing with FAO model but has a more accuracy. The crops has been ranked based on the calculated yield gap fractions. The lowest yield gap fraction belongs to barley, soybean, sugar beet, wheat, cotton and maize respectively. This ranking could be used as an ecological coefficient for the region cropping pattern.

The Caspian Sea is one of the largest sources of Bony fishes in Iran that these fishes accounted for 45 percent of total fishing in the Caspian Sea. Regarding a long history of Pareh-fishing on the coast of the Caspian Sea, the principle aim of this study was the economic analysis of fishery cooperatives in the Mazandaran province. For this purpose, 110 questionnaires were completed from 12 cooperatives in 2014 fishing season. The technical, allocative and economic efficiencies and total factor productivity index for the selected cooperatives calculated In addition, causes of reduced catches and fishermen and cooperatives’ problems were analyzed from the point of view of experts and fishermen. The efficiency results showed that, only 16.7 per cent of cooperatives have technical and economic efficiency. More than 80 per cent of cooperatives followed increasing returns to scale. According to the results variable such as fishermen’s age, education level, Fishing Manager’s experience and education, as well as level of fishing have positive and significant effect on economic efficiency significantly while variables like cooperative members, the number of stormy days and fishermen's second job have negative and significant effect on cooperatives’ economic efficiency. The productivity results indicated that only two cooperatives have productivity. Therefore it should focus on appropriate policies in order to improve efficiency and productivity.

Achieving the sustainability of resources is one of the main challenges of the whole world, including our country, Iran. According to the importance of Fars province in the agricultural sector, the economic, environmental and social sustainability of Pasargad plains farmers in the region are evaluated using the positive weighting method of principal component analysis and exogenous weighting method of hierarchical analysis methods. So, economic, environmental and social sustainability indicators were estimated according to the two mentioned weighting methods for 150 farmers of the region in 2014-2015. SAFE theoretical framework has been used to choose the sustainability indexes. Comparison of the two sustainability combination indicators of AHP and PCA show that there was a statistically significant difference between indexes of economic and social sustainability in two methods. But in the field of environmental sustainability indicators, there was no statistically significant difference based on AHP and PCA. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference between the two methods based on a combination of sustainability indicators. According to the results, it is suggested to provide extension and education tools and necessary facilities such as giving loans to the farmers in order to use minimum tillage, sprinkle irrigation systems and soil test to manage and improve the quality of soil nutrients.

The agriculture sector is the largest water consumer in arid and semi-arid areas. So water scarcity has an important effect on this section. Drought as one of the most important factors in making crisis in Zayanderud river basin (ZRB) has a deep effect on the agriculture sector. This study evaluates the drought effects on irrigation land and farmers profit on the east of ZRB by using SPI and CBA. The required data is collected by questionnaire and face-to-face interview with 140 farmers in the east of ZRB in 2013. At first we determined climatic scenarios by using Esfahan and Chadegan stations and SPI index during 1970-2012. After that the effects of wet, normal and dry scenarios are shown on streamflow and irrigation land. The results show that wheat, rice and safflower that depend highly on river, decrease on land area sequentially in scale of 68%, 92% and 51%. In addition the decrease of profit of these products are sequentially equal to 13858, 520 and 6103 million Tomans That should use increasing the productivity and irrigation efficiency utilizing ways such as farm tubing- that has lower cost and risk in relation to rain irrigation for farmers.

Agricultural research systems in the public sector of developing countries have entered the era of resource scarcity. Therefor financing and support economic policy makers from this research will be required to provide documentary evidence.Without specific and convincing evidences of benefits, Agricultural research can not receive sustainable funding supports. This research has been conducted in order to assessment of potential benefits of breeding research in three agro-climatic zones of Iran. Results while creating awareness can convince and persuade the policy making and planning system to support agricultural research. In order to conducting this research, has been used from economic surplus model that can offer useful and effective outputs from potential benefits of research. Based on findings, most of breeding research have acceptable economic benefits and can play a fundamental role increasing production and supply of agricultural products. This finding emphasis on necessary support and funding of agricultural research and its uncertainty management in farmers conditions that apply research technologies.

The present study has done with the purpose of feasibility of establishing water association cooperatives in Guilan province using Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). The research method was descriptive and the data were collected by survey technique using purposive sampling method. Considering the background of participatory organization and systems three of them; traditional system, production cooperative and rural cooperative were used as competitor options using library research and paying attention to data analysis technique and selecting the best option for participatory irrigation systems, three main criteria were recognized as social, economic and attitudinal of exploiters. In addition, four sub-criteria were recognized for each of mentioned criteria. After that the hierarchical structure of the research was drawn and according to that three types of questionnaire were complied. In the next step, a list of experts and connoisseurs (connoisseur and harbinger experts) who had educations or occupational experience related to the research topic was made and among them 22 people were selected for filling out the questionnaire. Finally the results analysis was done by Super Decision software. The results showed that due to all of the studied criteria and sub-criteria in the research production cooperative system with the final weight of 0.421 had the highest priority so was considered as the best option for planning of the participatory irrigation system in order to form water association. Next to that traditional system with the final weight of 0.306 had the second priority and rural cooperative with the final weight of 0.273 had the 3rd priority. On the other hand, social sub-criteria had the most effect on traditional system and economic and attitudinal sub-criteria had the most effect on production cooperative.

Gasoil and electricity are the most important energies consumption in the cropping pattern of the sub agronomical. Based on the governmental decision to remove energy carrier's subsidies, this study focuses on the impact of the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies on the cropping pattern of irrigated lands in the Maharlou-Bakhtegan watershed under six scenarios by using Positive Mathematical Progromming and Maximum Entropy methods. The results showed that rising of price of the energy carriers, when other factors are fixed, would decrease the irrigated lands devoted to most of crops including wheat and consequently the gross profit of farmers in entire watershed. While simultaneous rising of crops price as much as increased cost, can be adjusted to increase the area under cultivation and increase gross profit. Because of farmers determined with goal to maximize profit of cropping pattern, in some cases with rising costs, crops with more need to water will replace to crops with less need to water and low profitability and without more withdrawal, gross profit increses. It is recommended to consider the issue of pricing policy in order to protect water resources, crops require less water to be directed to the pattern. It is noteworthy that in all scenarios, the wheat under cultivation land decreased, but still it has the most proportion in the cropping pattern of watershed.

Technological development in agriculture as the main source of increased productivity requires sustained investment in agricultural research. However, in recent decades investment in agricultural research in developing countries has reduced and the Agricultural Research systems of public sector (government) in these countries, including Iran, have been faced with the challenge of funding research needs. In such circumstances, the funding of this type of research requires to provide documentary evidence of the interest of them to economic policymakers. Without revealed and compelling documentation of benefits, agricultural research will not earn sustainable financial support. Therefore this study estimates the potential benefits of cotton breeding research under its risk in agro-climatic zones of Iran that its results could set economic policymaking to persuade and convince for worthy support of cotton research. In order to conduct of this research, economic surplus method was used that can prepare effective outputs to derive the benefits of the research. Based on the findings, cotton breeding research in all studied zones, despite the uncertainty and the risk of their benefits, have acceptable economic returns. So that its expected average internal rate of return, Despite the risk and uncertainty of research and agricultural activities, is in the range of 26 to 40%. Therefor application of technology (improved seed) derived from them, can increase cotton production and supply and play fundamental role in cotton growers and consumers benefits. This evidence emphasize on necessary funding of agricultural research and its risk management.

Upon determination of field machines, ownership and operating costs of agricultural machines are readily computed. However, timeliness cost is also influenced by field operations scheduling. If planting operation is performed in the smallest possible period around optimum planting time, timeliness cost is minimized. But in some conditions, planting operation cannot be completed in such period and for optimum scheduling of operations, a method is required to determine the best time for commencing planting operation. In this study, by definition of a parameter namely timeliness index (TI), a model based on a numerical method was developed to determine optimum planting start date (opls), in which total timeliness cost is minimized. After running the model by use of input data available from a real farm, opls was determined. By comparing, the TI resulted from opls with TI values resulted from deviated planting start dates from opls, the accuracy of the model was verified. increasing rate of TI value Also had a quadratic relationship with difference between planting start day and opls. Therefore, accurate determination of opls has an important role in decreasing timeliness cost.

In this study، the effects of removing of gasoil subsidy on the cropping pattern of planting crops in Shahre Rey were assessed. Initial information was gathered using completing 105 questionnaires. The selected statistical sample is consisted of some Shahre Rey farmers who were working on their farms in 2009-2010. PMP model with maximum entropy (ME) was used for evaluating the policy of removing of gasoil subsidy. The effect of the gasoline subsidies elimination through changes in water prices and machinery has been studied. According to the results، along with the policy of removing subsidy for gasoil، the extent of planted areas decreases for all crops in all groups (1، 2 and 4) except wheat and cauliflower (group 3) which increases 26. 639% and 5. 443% respectively. Also، regarding policy of removing of gasoil subsidy، the using rate of inputs has decreased and the output in all groups (1، 2، 3 and 4) has declined amount 28. 833%، 29. 513%، 29. 636%، and 29. 143% respectively. Therefore، the results indicated that the gasoil subsidies elimination policy has not any benefit for farmers.

The big Sefidrud basin supplies the irrigation water of the Guilan fertile plain and provides requested water for strategic crop of rice in mentioned province. Water resource development projects in upstream of mentioned basin، risks supplying guaranteed irrigation water for Guilan plain. Present study investigates the effects of ten Sefidrud network inflow reduction scenarios under eight irrigation network conditions using regional mathematical programming based on positive mathematical programming and considering hydrological situations in central valley irrigation district of Guilan province. Requested data sets were obtained from Iran''s water resource management company، Guilan Water Company and different consultants'' researches. Acreages removed from irrigation module، avoided loss because of applying irrigation efficiency improvement projects and reduced gross margins of cultivation incentral valley irrigation district under different inflow reduction scenarios and network condition are the most important results of this study. Results revealed that nine percent reduction of the Sefidrud irrigation and drainage network inflow in central valley under current network condition caused 7. 6 percent of rice acreages and 7. 9 percent of total crops acreages to remove from irrigation module. Simulations based on changes in network condition showed the considerable effect of irrigation efficiency improvement policy on avoiding loss due to inflow reduction. Mentioned results provide a base for cost-benefit analysis of irrigation efficiency improvement projects in this irrigation district.

Cultivation of the strategic crop of rice highly depends to the existence of sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water، and water shortage stresses have irreparable effects on yield and quality of productions. Decrease of the Sefidrud river inflow in Guilan province which is the main source of supplying irrigation water for 171 thousand hectares under rice cropping area of this province، has been challenged sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply in many regions of mentioned province. Hence، in present study estimating the value that paddy farmers place on sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply has been considered. Economic valuation of sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply improves water resource management policies in demand side. Requested data set were obtained on the base of a survey and are collected from 224 paddy farms in rural regions that faced with irrigation water shortages. Then، using open-ended valuation approach and estimation of Tobit model via ML and two stages Heckman approach، eliciting paddy farmers'' willingness to pay for sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply has been accomplished. Results revealed that farmers in investigated regions willing to pay 26. 49 percent more than present costs of providing irrigation water in order to have sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water.

Agricultural sustainability is regarded as a key factor for long term profitability of farming in rural areas. Researchers believe that an agricultural system is sustainable if it includes environmental quality, economic viability, and employment and social performance. Agricultural sustainability can be analyzed on diverse spatial scales, from the field to a regional, national or even an international scale. Regarding the natural environment the agro-technical and socio-economic conditions in every region have raised the need for more granular scales of assessment. A recent drought in Zayandeh-Rud River Basin caused an increase in competition among water users in agriculture, industry, and drinking sectors. There is too much pressure on water resources. This competitiveness can increase agricultural water shortage and serious problems such as agricultural unsustainability. The availability of water is an important factor for agricultural production in arid and semi-arid areas. Excessive use of water resources influences agricultural development and plays a key role in environmental degradation. However, evaluation of sustainability under drought condition will be used to help decision makers establish effective water exploitation and allocation policies, and thus facilitate the local agriculture sustainability. In this paper to assess agricultural sustainability data are collected by using questionnaire and Expert Choice 11 application in the east of Zayandeh-Rud River Basin. The partial goals are including assessment of: environmental sustainability in case study. economic sustainability in case study. social sustainability in case study. drought impact on crop sustainability in case study. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is one of the most commonly applied MCDA techniques based on value measurement models which proposed by Thomas L. Saaty. This states that transferability of a sustainability evaluation framework is not a strict requirement. Therefore, in this research a set of indicators were used to assess and compare the sustainability level of agronomy and orchard production systems. Data collection: Data was obtained at the farm by a survey method and applying a structured questionnaire and face to face interviews with farmers in 2013. The questionnaire was divided into three parts consisting, (a) crop management practices, (b) farm structure and economic performance, and (c) individual, household and social characteristics of each farm manager. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) AHP was performed by doing five following steps: Step one: Development an attribute tree. In the attribute tree the agricultural sustainability was primarily divided hierarchically into the tree sustainability pillarsas final goal, then to the lower level criteria, and ultimately to measurable attributes. Step two: Pairwise comparison of criteria. Step three: Pairwise comparison of alternatives (crops) with regard to criteria. At this stage, pairwise comparisons on the alternative crops with respect to the criteria were performed by rating of mean value of indicators. The value of the 22 indicators for each crop and farm was estimated at the farm level. Step four: Calculating consistency. After each pairwise comparison of the criteria and alternatives, a consistency check must be applied. Priorities make sense if they are derived from consistent matrices. Step five: Sensitivity analysis. The last step of the AHP is the sensitivity analysis to verify the results of decisions by changing the importance of the criteria. If the priority does not change, the results are robust. Results of this research have indicated that alfalfa with 0.287 preference has a higher level of agricultural sustainability compared to other crops. According to the environmental assessment, barely (with 0.352) were the most sustainable crops. According to the social assessment alfalfa with 0.274 was sustainable crop. According to the results the higher scores are observed in farmers of alfalfa than in other farmers. Alfalfa farmers are highly educated and mainly occupied in off farm activities. In addition, employment rate is much higher in alfalfa. Wheat farmers are younger than other farmers. According to the economic assessment the alfalfa has significantly higher scores than other crops (utility of about 0.5). The farmers have generally a better farm structure than farmers of other crops. In addition, farm financial indicator values are also much higher in these farms. Based on performance sensitivity analysis, by changing the weights of the environmental criteria over 0.4, the priorities are reversed and alfalfa is being unsustainable. In this situation, barely is the most sustainable. In this paper, a methodological approach was presented to assess and compare sustainability of agricultural products at the farm level under drought condition. According to the environmental assessment, barely was the most sustainable crop. By increasing the use of fertilizer, agricultural sustainability level decreases. The use of fertilizer reflects the specialization and intensification of cropping practices. Barley had the lowest fertilizer usage among other crops. Furthermore, pesticides pose threats to human health and the environment that forage maize and barely have the lowest number of replications of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides application per growing season. In addition, barely is the most sustainable crop based on water consumption indicator. By decreasing share of agriculture sector from surface water, pressure on groundwater resource increases and agricultural sustainability decreases in drought condition. In this way, sustainability of barely can increase because of low water requirement and resistance to salt. According to the economic assessment, alfalfa was a sustainable crop. GM for alfalfa was 35 times greater than barely, 14 times greater than wheat and 3 times greater than forage maize. Holding size was larger than other crops for alfalfa that increases yield and may represent potentially higher sustainability efficiency. It is worth nothing that because the smallholders’ farmers break the law of inheritance and land plots to carry out activities by machine and consequently the degree of mechanization is reduced. The multi-partitioning of agricultural lands results in higher yield variability along with more required energy and labor. Wheat and barley were the most sustainable among other crops. According to the social assessment, alfalfa was sustainable crop. Age has been associated with farmer's education level, attitudes, managerial features, commitment to farming, and size of farming operation. In addition, a farmer's educational level and effective farm management as well as timely adoption of environmentally friendly management practices are positively correlated. Hence, barley and forage maize have respectively higher and lower social sustainability. Furthermore, agricultural employment represents the level of employment in the agricultural sector, illustrating its importance as a source of labor for the rural population. This criterion for alfalfa was 10 times greater than barely, 9.5 times greater than wheat and 6.5 times greater than forage maize. Furthermore, family size indicates that the family members may give significant information about the structure of agricultural household and it highlights the staying of farm population in the countryside. In the east of Zayandeh-Rud river basin drought along with legal prohibition of land use change were caused to increase migration and decrease income. This can strongly affect the sustainability. To increase sustainability under drought condition, increasing the efficiency of water use is necessary in agriculture sector in the case of study. But the level of adoption of sprinkler irrigation is low because of: high water PH, high water EC, smallholder’s farmers, and high costs of equipment. Therefore, other methods such as intubation in the field can be recommended for better performance and efficiency of water use and allocation. This requires public accommodations to provide low-interest loans by the government.

In this study، we assessed the removing effect of chemical fertilizers subsidies on cropping pattern of agronomy in Shahre-Rey County. For this purpose، by simple random sampling method، 105 evaluation forms from Shahre-Rey County farmers between 2010 and 2011 were filled out، and Positive Mathematical Progamming model (PMP) with maximum entropy (ME) was used. According to cultivated area، farmers were divided into four homogenous groups، and the elimination effect of the chemical fertilizer subsidies through price changes in nitrate، potassium، and phosphate fertilizers was evaluated. The results indicated that the extent of planted areas in all crops was decreased in the first and second groups. In the third group، only the extent of planted areas of wheat and cauliflower was increased about 8. 569% and 6. 52%، respectively. Finally، in the fourth group، the extent of planted areas of barley was increased about 0. 818%. Also، the rate of using inputs was decreased and the planned output of all groups (1، 2، 3 and 4) was declined 4. 825%، 5. 402%، 8. 928%، and 1. 512%، respectively.

Harmful economic, environmental and financial impacts of fertilizer distribution through subsidies as well as its contradiction with regulations of WTO, it makes necessary to adopt a new policy. In this study, by combining Positive Mathematical Programming and Maximum Entropy technique, the impacts of cancellation of fertilizer subsidies and applying proposed direct payment policies on gross margin, output and input levels were simulated under four scenarios.Results show that replacing fertilizer subsidy with direct payment policy leads to decreasing of fertilizer use up to 17.38, 9.39 and 13.59 percent in first, second and third group of farmers, respectively. In view of the fact that results show the current policy of fertilizer subsidy isn’t efficient, applying a proposed direct payment policy is suggested to increase the economic and benefits environmental safety of fertilizer use.

Looking back into the past shows that Iran has always been faced with water shortages, and this has not been a problem confined to a certain period or generation. Therefore, proper attention to optimal use of water resources and a move towards sustainable use of extant water resources is indispensable. In this study, using multi period mathematical programming model, the effects of the two goals of: water resource sustainability as well as optimization of multi period use on cultivation pattern, for the next five periods for Hamedan- Kabodarahang Plain, have been investigated. Results show that using modern irrigation methods can greatly solve the problems of water resources shortages and provide the water required for cultivation of the irrigated lands in the region. Also results indicate that, That application of modern irrigation methods can increase present value of revenues as well as return to water resources in all the models. In addition, water resources are indicated as the most restrictive production factor in the study region, with the value of this input, in the added-value maximization models, always being estimated as greater than that in the gross income maximization models.

Transportation plays an important role in excessive costs and the final price of goods. For this reason, constructing an economic transportation model enables us to optimize various activities in transportation systems for agricultural products, bringing lower costsfor consumers of products as a result. The main objective of this studyis to construct a dynamic linear programming transportation model in order to minimize the transportation costs of soybean shipped from different supply regions to different pressing oil factories. There are 29 production centers known as supply regions, 2 importing harbors and 7 factories and demanding centers for soybean seeds in Iran. This study used the monthly data of the year 2004 based on the capacities of origin supplies, warehouse (and related monthly stock available in previous period and the amount of transferred shipment to nextperiod), monthly consumption of demanding centers and related transportation costs. LINGO computer package was used to solve the transportation model. Based on the comparison of optimal solutions of the model and the actual transformation costs in 2004, the transformation cost reductions for soybean seeds is 87.67 million Rials.