Optimal Crop Pattern for the Maximum Net Income Using Linear Optimization in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

Whilst the world population is increasing, consequently, the demand for food and agricultural products also raised. Farmers turn to monoculture for high the productivity of agricultural products with limited arable land and capital for gaining better income; however, farmers still have low incomes. Therefore, evaluating the potential of agricultural spatial is one of the significant factors influencing agricultural productivity also the income of farmers such as crop pattern, agricultural practice, and material used for the cultivation with the most efficient use of limited resources. This research is to propose an appropriate crop pattern based on plant spacing for allocating plantation areas through Linear Optimization technique in agroforestry, which five plant groups are composed of soil-improving crops, fruit crops, vegetables and herbs, cash crops and forests, for the optimization of farm productivity in 1 rai (1 rai = 0.16 hectares) of the arable area by determining the net income. The results have shown that the optimal agricultural pattern (Pattern 1) for planting the soil-improving crops, fruit crops and cash crops throughout the area, while forest, vegetables and herbs are around area. This pattern provides the numbers of crop tress for each type with maximum farmer's income.