A Study on Expansion Possibilities of Irrigated Areas in Uluırmak Irrigation Basin and Production Planning According to Water

In this study, it is aimed to determine the current irrigation management and performance data in Uluırmak irrigation, to investigate the possibilities of expanding the irrigated areas in the network, and to calculate the optimum production patterns of agricultural enterprises. This study was carried out in 1995 and the results of this study were comparatively reviewed between 1995 and 2020 years. The data used in the study consists of primary data obtained from the surveys conducted with face-to-face interviews with a total of 72 enterprises in the region, determined by stratified sampling method. Linear programming method was used to determine the optimum production patterns according to the current situation in the irrigation basin and the expansion of irrigated areas. The average width of the farmland in the region is 74.42 decares (da), 47.75 da of which is irrigated agricultural land. After the planning made in accordance with the current conditions in the enterprises examined, wheat came to the plan with a maximum of 20.92 da, respectively, sugar beet (9.87 da), sunflower (5.89 da), beans (4.78 da), alfalfa (2.78 da), vegetables (2.89 da), and barley (1.12 da). In addition, the total gross profit of the enterprise reaches 445.4 TL, with 2.29 dairy cows (cultural hybrid) and 18.95 sheep coming to the plan in planned production. In case of the completion of the missing investments in the irrigation network and the expansion of the irrigated lands, the irrigated lands will increase by 33.33% and the gross profit will increase by 60.48% compared to the current situation and reach 472.4 TL. One of the important results of the study is that the average irrigated field land, which is 47.75 da, has increased to 64.20 da (34.45%) with the expansion of irrigated lands and planned water use.