LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODEL FOR SELECTION OF DIFFERENT FORMS FOR AGRICULTUR AL SPRAYING IN SUGAR CANE

Abstract

The engineer who performs activities in agriculture, often, faces the problem of designing a mechanized system for a given operation, for example, application of pesticides from cane sugar. The objective of this study was to develop and use a linear programming model to aid in the selection of different forms of agricultural spray used in the culture of sugar cane, on the lowest hourly cost of equipment. It was used technical information for the three application methods used in such cultivation. It can be achieved with drag sprays, by self-propelled and aerial applications. Sensitivity analysis per hourly cost with the variation of the total area , the area to be reformed, the area to be treated with systemic insecticide and the total time available for each application, demonstrated that the use of self-propelled sprayers and airplanes are spray forms that provide lower cost schedules obeying all restrictions. The developed mathematical model facilitated the implementation of sensitivity analysis that was processed in a short time.