This paper refers to the development of a decision support model for planning and managing irrigation and/or drainage schemes. The computer model, called MCID, is applicable to a production unit level, generating information on how different irrigation management practices and drainage designs affect crop yield and financial return. This information may be applied in studies of crop patterns at farm level, taking into consideration financial return and water use, associated to risk analysis based on simulations. The water and salt balance in the root zone, as well as the water table depth and drain discharge predictions, are carried out on a daily basis. The sensitivity analysis pointed out that the most influential parameters on the seasonal irrigation requirement were: drain spacings, drainable porosity, curve number, horizontal soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, impermeable layer depth and the van Genuchten-Mualem parameters n and alpha.
irrigation; drainage; soil-water-plant-salinity management; financial analysis
