Energy Use Pattern and Economic Analysis of Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) Production in Tillage Methods

Abstract

The study investigates the energy use pattern and economic analysis of fluted pumpkin production in tillage methods (traditional, reduced-conventional and conventional). Human power, machinery, diesel fuel, fertilizers, seed and pesticides energy inputs were used during the cultivation of fluted pumpkin. Input and output energy analysis method was used to estimate the input and output energy in each of the tillage methods during the production of fluted pumpkin. The energy indices of fluted pumpkin production determined were; energy efficiency, energy productivity, specific energy, net energy and energy efficiency index. The economic analysis of fluted pumpkin production in terms of total cost of production, gross monetary return, net monetary return and cost benefit ratio for the three tillage methods used were determined. The total energy required per hectare in traditional, reduced-conventional and conventional tillage methods were 6899.90, 9206.16 and 10176.84 MJ/ha, while the output energy were found to be 8912.48, 12297.8 and 12297.8 MJ/ha, respectively. The energy efficiency, energy productivity and net energy gain of 3.97, 1.50 and 1.20; 0.76, 0.86 and 0.71 MJ/kg; 1.32, 1.20 and 1.40 MJ/ha, respectively were estimated while energy efficiency index were found to be 27, 47 and 20% for traditional, reduced-conventional and conventional tillage methods, respectively. The highest net monetary return and cost benefit ratio of ₦382,000.00k and 3.05 were estimated for reduced-conventional, ₦351, 600.00 k and 2.31 for conventional tillage, while the least values of ₦220, 000.00 k and 2.11 were recorded for traditional tillage method. The result revealed that reduced-conventional tillage was better than both traditional and conventional tillage methods in terms of energy productivity, net energy gain and energy efficiency index. Economically, production of fluted pumpkin under reduced-conventional tillage shows the highest net monetary return and cost benefit ratio compared to the other two tillage methods considered.