Department of Economics and Sociology, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004, Punjab, India
Online published on 13 December, 2019.
This study attempts to develop optimum crop planning strategies for Punjab. Using linear programming techniques with general algebraic modeling system (GAMS) software, it aims to increase productivity with minimum input cost and maximize net returns and save groundwater under the constraints of available resources like irrigation water, land and fertilizers. The study shows that if water is to be saved, farmer profits will decline, or that there is a trade-off between water saving and crop profitability, and that using water-saving technologies such as laser land levellers and tensiometers could raise the efficiency of irrigation water.
