SELECTION OF THE MOST PROMISING FOR IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT AGRICULTURAL PLOTS OF LAND

Abstract

Purpose: to develop a method for estimating and ranking agricultural land plots, the most promising for the development of irrigation. Materials and methods: the plot ranking is based on the application of multi-factor analysis and expert assessment methods. Results. Estimation criteria are proposed, and the weight values of each of them are determined according to the degree of influence on the final land valuation: irrigation water quality – 20 %, degree of soil alkalinity – 19 %, degree of soil salinity – 16 %, water table – 14 %, technical condition of the water supply network – 12 %, the groundwater mineralization – 11 %, the distance from the water source – 8 %. The structure of the process of making a decision on the development of irrigation has been developed. Land plots evaluation and ranking are carried out in the following sequence: determination of the actual values of estimation criteria, evaluation of plots separately for each criterion, plots integral estimation and ranking. Approbation of the proposed method for estimating and ranking land plots was carried out on the example of a farm located in Aksai district Rostov region. Seven fields that were formerly irrigated but now rainfed were estimated. As a result, it was concluded that fields 2, 4 and 6 have the same rank and are the most promising for the development of irrigation. Field 1 is next in order of priority. Fields 5, 7, and 3 complete the priority list. Conclusions: the proposed method for estimating and ranking land plots can be widely used by farms that intend investments in irrigated agriculture, and can also be taken into account when planning public investments in the maintenance and development of state reclamation systems.

Keywords

• irrigated area
• assessment of irrigation prospects
• multi-factor analysis
• digitalization
• availability of reclaimed lands