University of Tehran Press Journal of Ecohydrology 2423-6098 10 3 2023 12 12 A Spatio‌ـ temporal Approach to Irrigation and Cultivation of Agricultural Plants with a focus on Virtual Water, GIS, and Ants Swarm Intelligence A Spatio‌ـ temporal Approach to Irrigation and Cultivation of Agricultural Plants with a focus on Virtual Water, GIS, and Ants Swarm Intelligence 379 404 95329 10.22059/ije.2023.363753.1753 FA Nasser Mohammadi Varzaneh Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Islamic Azad University, Sciences and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran Alireza Vafaeinejad Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Aliasghar Alesheikh Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran Zahra Azizi Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Islamic Azad University, Sciences and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran Amirhoman Homesi Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Islamic Azad University, Sciences and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 17 Traditional methods of irrigation and resource utilization lack an organized strategy for managing water resources. There are often inefficiencies in the way irrigation water is used in fields and plains, leading to irrigation waste and inefficient water utilization. Considering the size and dispersion of the land, the variety of crops, the time and location at which they are planted, and the distance between the source of water and the point where it is consumed, irrigation and drainage networks are essential for the best management of water resources. Therefore, in the present study, we have attempted to optimize the use of water in the agricultural sector by taking into account both the virtual water of plant cultivation and growth as well as the environmental conditions relevant to it, both geographically and temporally. Based on the calculations presented in this research and comparisons with the existing traditional method, the amount of water consumed in agriculture in the study area, which is part of Isfahan Province's southern part in the Gavkhoni lagoon, is estimated to be approximately 70 percent reduced if the solution presented in this study is implemented. It would be equivalent to using about 30% of the amount of water currently consumed and something equivalent to about 300 thousand cubic meters of water consumption reduction, which is a significant amount. Traditional methods of irrigation and resource utilization lack an organized strategy for managing water resources. There are often inefficiencies in the way irrigation water is used in fields and plains, leading to irrigation waste and inefficient water utilization. Considering the size and dispersion of the land, the variety of crops, the time and location at which they are planted, and the distance between the source of water and the point where it is consumed, irrigation and drainage networks are essential for the best management of water resources. Therefore, in the present study, we have attempted to optimize the use of water in the agricultural sector by taking into account both the virtual water of plant cultivation and growth as well as the environmental conditions relevant to it, both geographically and temporally. Based on the calculations presented in this research and comparisons with the existing traditional method, the amount of water consumed in agriculture in the study area, which is part of Isfahan Province's southern part in the Gavkhoni lagoon, is estimated to be approximately 70 percent reduced if the solution presented in this study is implemented. It would be equivalent to using about 30% of the amount of water currently consumed and something equivalent to about 300 thousand cubic meters of water consumption reduction, which is a significant amount. https://ije.ut.ac.ir/article_95329_1175fc802f68a14979caa43c97947ba8.pdf