Author(s): Rodrigues, Gonçalo Pereira Fernandes Caleia
Date: 2013
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/6155
Origin: Repositório da UTL
Subject(s): water productivity; economic analysis; irrigation systems performance; deficit irrigation; modelling
Doutoramento em Engenharia dos Biossistemas - Instituto Superior de Agronomia
Improving crop water productivity requires new approaches to economic modelling, considering alternative irrigation scheduling and irrigation systems performance. The present study aims at applying an economic modelling to water use and productivity in irrigated areas. It intends to determine the potential of irrigation systems at field scale to achieve an efficient water use, giving particular attention to maximizing the beneficial water use and the physical and economic water productivities. Thus several water-saving scenarios were developed taking into account alternative solutions to the irrigation practices adopted at the selected fields. Economic analysis and multicriteria analysis methodologies have been developed, implemented, evaluated, and incorporated in system design models (MIRRIG, PROASPER, DEPIVOT). It was possible to identify the best strategies to achieve improved water productivities using the economic modelling coupled with multicriteria analysis modules. The benefits and costs related to irrigation systems and management, through managed water demand, using deficit irrigation, and through the improvement of irrigation systems performance were also considered. The methodology developed proves to be a useful tool to support decision making at the field level, aiming at the sustainability of agricultural systems.
