Determining the Optimal Cropping Pattern with Footprint and Quality Water Approach (Case Study: Bardsir City)

Agriculture has always been considered as an important factor in the development of human civilization and today this sector is one of the most important economic sectors and the largest consumer of water in Iran and the world. Irregular extraction of groundwater by this sector has caused a water shortage crisis in most parts of Iran. Therefore, the country's water resources need to be planned and managed in order to be sustainable. One way is to determine the optimal cropping pattern by considering the quantity and quality of water. Therefore, in this study, using game theory, the optimal cropping pattern has been determined by considering the footprint index and water quality in Bardsir city. For this purpose, five major crops of this city have been considered and the necessary statistics and information have been collected from the Meteorological Organization, the Regional Water Administration and the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Kerman province and Bardsir city for the years 2005-2017. The results showed that wheat, barley, alfalfa, potato and fodder corn had the highest water footprint, respectively. In the optimal cropping pattern obtained from game theory compared to the current cropping pattern; the area under cultivation of wheat, barley and potato decreased by 4%, 7% and 12%, respectively, and the area under cultivation of alfalfa and fodder corn increased by 4% and 25%, respectively. The optimal cropping pattern obtained from game theory is recommended for this city, because in this pattern, in addition to economic benefits, attention has been paid to the quantity and quality of water so that water resources do not face a crisis.