Εκτίμηση του οικονομικού οφέλους από την καλλιέργεια του βάμβακος με την χρήση του ομοιώματος AquaCrop

Abstract

 The new technologies (personal computers, internet, mathematic models) are used more and more in the framework of precision agriculture implementation aiming to increase the yield, reduce the irrigation water use and the production cost. In this study the AquaCrop model was used to estimate the actual producers profit from the cotton crop cultivation. Different scenarios were devised regarding the cotton sell price and the expected irrigation water pricing and subsidies policy changes. The scenarios were implemented for full and deficit irrigation schedules. The results showed that for all scenarios and cotton sell prices equal to 0.5, 0.4 and 0.3 €/kg the maximum profit was obtained when 70% and 60% deficit irrigation schedules were implemented. However, in the case of subsidies policy change scenario, the producers potential profit reduced significantly, setting the sustainability of cotton cultivation under threat.