Energy Efficiency Analysis and Modeling the Relationship between Energy Inputs and Wheat Yield in Iran

Subject Areas : Environmental policy and management

Fakher kardoni ¹ , Majid Jami-Al Ahmadi ² , Mohammad Reza Bakhshi ³

1 - Former Graduate Student of Agro ecology, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.

Received: 2014-06-07 Accepted : 2014-09-07 Published : 2015-12-01

Keywords: Wheat, Energy efficiency, Input-output, Econometric analysis,

Abstract :

Wheat is the dominant cereal crop constituting the first staple food in Iran. This paper studies the energy consumption patterns and the relationship between energy inputs and yield for Wheat production in Iranian agriculture during the period 1986 – 2008. The results indicated that total energy inputs in irrigated and dryland wheat production increased from 29.01 and 9.81 GJ ha-1 in 1986 to 44.67 and 12.35 GJ ha-1 in 2008, respectively. Similarly, total output energy rose from 28.87 and 10.43 GJ ha-1 in 1986 to 58.53 and 15.77 GJ ha-1 in 2008, in the same period. Energy efficiency indicators, input–output ratio, energy productivity, and net energy have improved over the examined period. The results also revealed that non-renewable, direct, and indirect energy forms had a positive impact on the output level. Moreover, the regression results showed the significant effect of irrigation water and seed energies in irrigated wheat and human labor and fertilizer in dryland wheat on crop yield. Results of this study indicated that improvement of fertilizer efficiency and reduction of fuel consumption by modifying tillage, harvest method, and other agronomic operations can significantly affect the energy efficiency of wheat production in Iran.

References:

1. Anonymous. (2007). Annual Agricultural Statistics (vol. 1). Agronomy and Horticultural Products; Tehran, Iran (In Persian).


2. Anonymous. (2010). Annual Agricultural Statistics (vol. 1). Agronomy and Horticultural Products; Tehran, Iran (In Persian).


3. Beheshti Tabar, I., Keyhani, A., & Rafiee, S. (2010). Energy balance in Iran’s agronomy (1990–2006). Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14, 849–55.


4. Canakci, M., Topakci, M., Akinci, I., & Ozmerzi, A. (2005). Energy use pattern of some field crops and vegetable production: case study for Antalya region, Turkey. Energy Conversion Management, 46, 655–66.


5. Dalgaard, T., Halberg .N., & Porter ,JR. (2001). A model for fossil energy use in Danish agriculture used to compare organic and conventional farming. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 87,51-65.


6. Demircan, V., Ekinci, K., Keener, H. M, Akbolat, D., & Ekinci, C. (2006). Energy and economic analysis of sweet cherry production in Turkey: A case study from Isparta province. Energy Conversion Management, 47,1761-1769.


7. Ercolia, L., Mariottib, M., Masonib, A., & Bonaria, E. (1999). Effect of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on biomass yield and efficiency of energy use in crop production of Miscanthus. Field Crops Research, 63, 68–81.


8. Esengun, K., Gunduz, O., & Erdal, G. (2007). Input-output energy analysis in dry apricot production of Turkey. Energy Conversion and Management.48,592-8.


9. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)(2013).Crop prospects and food situation.  Retrieved from : http:/www.fao.org/giews/


10. 10.Hatirli, S. A., Ozkan, B., & Fert, C. (2005). An econometric analysis of energy input–output in Turkish agriculture. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 9, 608–623.


11. Hatirli, S. A., Ozkan , B., & Fert, C. (2006). Energy inputs and crop yield relationship in greenhouse tomato production. Renewable Energy, 31, 427–38.


12. 12.Hussain, Z., Azam Khan, M., & Irfan, M. (2010). Water energy and economic analysis of wheat production under raised bed and conventional irrigation systems: A case study from a semi-arid area of Pakistan. Soil Tillage research, 109, 61-67.


13. 13.Khan, S., Khan, M. A., & Ltife, N. (2010). Energy requirements and economic analysis of wheat, rice and barley production in Australia. Soil & Environment, 29(1), 61-68.


14. 14.Kitani, O. 1999. CIGR handbook of agricultural engineering, (Vol. 5). American Society of Agricultural Engineers Publication.USA.


15. 15.Kizilaslan, H. )2009(.Input-output energy analysis of cherries production in Tokat province of Turkey. Applied Energy -; 86,1354-8.


16. 16.Martin, J.F., Diemont, S.A.W., Powell, E., Stanton, M., & Tacher, S.L.(2006). Energy evaluation of the performance and sustainability of three agricultural systems with different scales and management. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment .115, 128–140.


17. 17.Ministry of Energy of Iran (MOE). (2006). Electrified wells report. Water Resources Management Institute; Tehran, Iran (In Persian).


18. 18.Mohammadi, A., Tabatabaeefar, A., Shahin, S., Rafiee, S., & Keyhani, A. (2008). Energy use and economical analysis of potato production in Iran, a case study: Ardabil province. Energy Conversion Management, 49, 3566–70.


19. Mohammadi, A., & Omid, M. (2010). Economical analysis and relation between energy inputs and yield of greenhouse cucumber production in Iran. Applied energy.87, 191-196.


20. 20.Ozkan, B., Akcaoz, H., & Fert, C. (2004). Energy input–output analysis in Turkish agriculture. Renewable energy, 29, 39–51.


21. 21.Sartori, L., Basso, B., Bertocco, M., & Oliviero, G. (2005). Energy use and economic evaluation of a three year crop rotation for conservation and organic farming in NE Italy. Biosystems Engineering, 91(2), 245-256.


22. 22.Shahan, S., Jafari, A., Mobli, H., Rafiee, S., & Karimi, M. (2008). Energy use and economical analysis of wheat production in Iran: A case study from Ardabil province. Journal of Agricultural Technology 4(1), 77-88.


23. 23.Singh, H., Singh, A. K., Kushwaha, HL., & Singh, A. (2007). Energy consumption pattern of wheat production in India. Journal Energy, 32,1848-1854.


24. 24.Singh, J. M.( 2000). On farm energy use pattern in different cropping systems in Haryana, India. Unpublished thesis  International- Institute of Management, University of Flensburg, Germany-.


25. 25.Taki, M., Ajabshirchi,Y., & Mahmoudi, A. (2012). Prediction of output energy for wheat production using artificial neural networks in Esfahan province of Iran. Journal of Agricultural Technology, 8(4). 1229-1242.