Abstract
Energy input–output analysis is usually used to evaluate the efficiency and environmental impacts of production systems. In this analysis, the amount of energy that consumed for cultivation of crop is compared to the energy content of the product. This is important to define the energy efficiency of rapeseed cultivation as an energy source of biofuel production. For that reasons, in this experimental study, the conventional tillage, reduced tillage and direct sowing methods were applied for the winter rapeseed cultivation. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the different cultivation methods with respect to energy use for sustainable rapeseed production. The energy efficiency parameters were calculated for the considered tillage systems. The amount of direct and indirect energies that consumed in tillage, planting, fertilizing and harvesting applications were calculated for the winter rapeseed production. Three different cultivation methods have proved to be statistically important on seed yield of rapeseed and fuel consumption. It was found that the specific fuel consumption per tones rapeseed was 33.93 L/t, 22.20 L/t and 15.51 L/t, for the conventional tillage, reduced tillage and direct sowing applications, respectively. The energy input for fertilizer was 7242.50 MJ per hectare, compared to other inputs in all applications. The energy output/input ratios of rapeseed cultivation were determined as 7.30, 7.55 and 7.24, respectively for each application. It was found that the reduced tillage method has the highest energy efficiency in the rapeseed cultivation compared to other two applications. According to this study results, it is concluded that the soil must be analyzed with respect to necessary plant nutrients, the fertilization programs should be arranged and applied carefully, the required power optimization should be executed and the agricultural tools/machinery must be operated at full load and efficiently.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
