Abstract
A study aimed to estimate the energy inputs of selected agroforestry systems (AFSs) within the Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) in Zamboanga City, Philippines was conducted. All Mcal units were converted into Liter Diesel Oil Equivalent (LDOE), where 1.0 LDOE = 11.414 Mcal. Purposive sampling was used in determining the fitted characteristics and the number of respondents required across the 16 CBFM sites, where nine (9) dominant AFSs were identified. A total of 100 respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The relationships of predictors such as the direct, indirect and embedded energy inputs per AFS were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Means, percentages and sums were compared. The rubber+1based AFS obtained the lowest total energy inputs (TEI) at 5,790.5 Mcal ha<sup>-1</sup> or equal to 507.3 LDOE ha<sup>-1</sup>, while the rubber+3based AFS obtained the highest TEI at 11,801.3 Mcal ha<sup>-1</sup> (1,034.0 LDOE ha<sup>-1</sup>) compared to other AFSs such as the coconut+1based, mango-based, marang-based, lanzones-based, coconut+3based, rubber+2based and coconut+2based with individual TEI that ranged from 6,267.16-11,250.2 Mcal ha<sup>-1</sup> (549.1-985.6 LDOE ha<sup>-1</sup>). Of the total TEI across the nine (9) AFSs, the direct energy input (DEI) contributed 1.6-5.4%, indirect energy input (IEI) 94.1-98.0% and embedded energy input (EEI) 0.3-0.5%, respectively. The TEI is the sum total of DEI, IEI and EEI where each was accounted from pre-land preparation (PLP), crop establishment (CE), crop care and maintenance (CCM), harvest and postharvest (HPH) activities. The high imputed cost on IEI was attributed to high usage of agrochemicals and labor which are identified as the ‘energy hotspots’ or the energy-intensive inputs. The high plant density and number of trees present within the system contributed significantly in the overall TEI. Understanding the significant contributions of various energy-intensive systems will guide policy makers and local planners to initiate an integrated farming approach with reduced energy inputs that is climate smart with higher economic potential for the upland environment in the City of Zamboanga.
Highlights
Energy has always been essential for the production of food
The low total energy inputs (TEI) of rubber+1based agroforestry systems (AFSs) was attributed to fewer components involved within the system and the short gestation period of upland rice crop that required no further inputs during crop care and maintenance (CCM)
The energy cost per farm activity includes farm inputs and labor utilized from various farm operations including the pre-harvest energy inputs (PHEI) – the case of fruit tree components which require 5-6 years gestation period, and energy required on transportation which largely dependent on the volume of produce to be transported and proximity to the designated assembler or consolidator
Summary
Energy has always been essential for the production of food. Prior to the industrial revolution, solar power was the primary energy input for agriculture [1]. Owing to the impact of rapid mechanization, food production has become increasingly dependent on energy derived from fossil fuels [2,3,4] making the system to require large amount of energy inputs such as the direct use of energy to run farm machineries, water management, irrigation, cultivation and harvesting, food processing, storage and transportation [5, 6]. Food sources derived from agroforestry systems (AFSs) such as fruits and annuals as intercrops are sources of caloric energy but to produce such energy requires enormous energy in the form of machineries, farm implements, equipment, farm tools, various inputs like seeds, fertilizers and chemical pesticides, trucks and other form of logistics used for hauling and transport including labor that are derived from human and draft animal. This study was conducted to establish energy usage, account the energy inputs, and determine the energy hotspots of the selected AFSs
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