Energy sources analysis and optimization of energy efficiency and greenhouse gases in production of farm crops

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present current study aimed at analyzing the input–output energies and optimizing energy efficiency and greenhouse gases (GHG) in crops production at the northeast of Iran. The results of this research showed that the total energy inputs were equal to 42.4, 28.6, and 72.8 GJha−1 for, wheat, barley, and sugar beet, respectively. It was also shown that the highest energy efficiency, the lowest GHG emissions, and GHG intensity all belonged to barley production. The highest percentage of GHG intensity pertained to sugar beet production (41%), which was followed by wheat (38%) and barley (21%). It was also revealed that GHG intensity is a better criterion for the study of GHG since it also makes use of the energy output information in crops. The optimal model responses for the crop type and proper cultivation planning was 284432 hectares in terms of barley production, while those responses for wheat and sugar beet were zero and, thereby, they were eliminated from the model of Multiple Goal Programming (MGP). In the same way, this model could increase energy efficiency to 444875, while GHG emissions and its intensity decreased by 213259 tonCO2eq and 1.3 tonCO2eq MJoutput−1 per year, respectively.