Application of Parametric and Non-parametric Method to Analyzing of Energy Consumption for Cucumber Production in Iran

Morteza Taki,Asghar Mahmoudi,Yahya Ajabshirchi

doi:10.5539/mas.v6n1p75

Abstract

This study applied a parametric (Cobb-Douglas production function) and non-parametric (Data Envelopment Analysis) method to examine the energy equivalents of inputs and output, analyze the efficiency of farmers, discriminate efficient farmers from inefficient ones and to identify wasteful uses of energy in order to optimize the energy inputs for cucumber greenhouse production in Esfahan province of Iran. Data were collected from 25 cucumber greenhouses in Esfahan province (Iran) by using a face-to-face questionnaire. Results showed that the cucumber production consumed a total 124447.5MJ ha-1 and diesel fuel is the major energy inputs in this cultivation. The CCR and BCC models indicated 6 and 9 greenhouses were efficient, respectively. The average values of TE, PTE and SE of greenhouses were found to be 0.90, 0.95 and 0.94, respectively. The results also revealed that about 8.12% of the total input resources could be saved if the farmers follow the input package recommended by the DEA. Econometric model evaluation showed that the impact of human power for cucumber production was significant at 1% levels and had the highest effect among the other inputs in this research, also the regression coefficient of fertilizer energy was found negative, indicating that power consumption for fertilizer is high in the surveyed greenhouses.

Highlights

Cucumber is one of the major greenhouse vegetables products worldwide
Econometric model evaluation showed that the impact of human power for cucumber production was significant at 1% levels and had the highest effect among all the inputs in this research, the regression coefficient of fertilizer energy was found negative, indicating that power consumption for fertilizer is high in the surveyed greenhouses
As indicated in the table about 10 kg chemicals, 871 kg chemical fertilizer and 14.2 tones manure were used in greenhouse cucumber production on a hectare basis

Summary

Introduction

Cucumber is one of the major greenhouse vegetables products worldwide. In Iran, it was cultivated on 78000 ha and the production was 1.72 million tons in 2007. From 2002 to 2007, greenhouse areas of Iran increased from 3380 ha to 6630 ha with an increasing rate of 96%. The shares of greenhouse crops production were as follows: vegetables 59.3%, flowers 39.81%, fruits 0.54% and mushroom 0.35% (Omid, et al, 2010). (Mandal, et al, 2002; Heidari and Omid, 2011) Efficient use of these energies helps to achieve increased productivity and contributes to the economy, profitability and competitiveness of agricultural sustainability of rural communities (Manes and Singh, 2005; Hatirli, et al, 2006; Heidari and Omid, 2010)

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Methods

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Conclusion