Application of AHP Model to Select a Optimized Irrigation System

It is the objective of the present study to develop a model for selecting an optimized irrigation method with due consideration to the different physical, socio-economic, andenvironmental criteria affecting irrigation efficiency. The optimization process was accomplished using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) known to be one of the most appropriate methods for performing multivariate discrete analyses. Fifteen variables inirrigation systems and 5 in the irrigation sub-systems were analyzed. This paper will,first, present the structures used in the analytical hierarchy process. Then, the resultsobtained from the model in selecting irrigation systems and sub-systems for three agricultural regions with three crops of wheat, sugar beet, and grapes irrigated from the inIran were compared with those obtained from two other methods. The comparisons indicate that the results from the model proposed here are more reliable than those from the other methods. This is because different multivariate criteria have been used in theproposed model, which contribute to improved quality of the final solution and to higher consistency levels in the decision-making process. An additional advantage of the modeldeveloped is that it allows decision-makers to perform more complete conceptual comparisons among the decision-making components. Regarding the fact that a complete set of the factors involved in selecting appropriate irrigation system has been consideredin this study, the model should be capable of being used as a comprehensive application model for selecting improved irrigation systems used in agriculture and, thus, satisfy one of the essential prerequisites for improved soil and water exploitation

Keywords:

AHP , decision-making model. optimization , irrigation method , weight factor