Background and Objective: In recent years, excessive use of agricultural inputs has increased energy consumption and greenhouse emissions. This study aims to investigate the energy flow and greenhouse gases emissions in the production systems of some crops in South Khor
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Background and Objective: In recent years, excessive use of agricultural inputs has increased energy consumption and greenhouse emissions. This study aims to investigate the energy flow and greenhouse gases emissions in the production systems of some crops in South Khorasan province.
Material and Methodology: In the current research, a questionnaire, as well as face-to-face interviews with the farmers in this region (2018), were used to collect the required information, including agricultural operations, the type and amount of consumed inputs and product performance. In the present research, input energy, output energy, net energy, specific energy, optimal energy consumption, energy efficiency indices, different forms of energy, and Global warming potential were calculated and evaluated.
Findings: The results showed that the process of alfalfa production had the highest energy consumption. On the other hand, Sugar beet (571,200 MJ.ha-1), fodder sorghum (391,920 MJ.ha-1) and alfalfa (120,870 MJ.ha-1) have the highest energy output, respectively. A comparison of the studied products showed that rapeseed (27.6 MJ.kg-1) and cotton (15.3 MJ.kg-1) have the maximum specific energy index. The ecosystems of alfalfa (41566 kg CO2eq.ha-1), sugar beet (29179 kg CO2eq.ha-1), fodder sorghum (27396 kg CO2eq.ha-1) had the maximum of global warming potential (GWP), respectively. Comparing the share of different inputs from the total global warming potential of the products showed that electricity, nitrogen fertilizer, and diesel play the greatest role in greenhouse gas emissions in all the studied products.
Discussion and Conclusions: Since electricity and nitrogen fertilizer had the greatest role in the greenhouse gases emission from crops in South Khorasan province, management and optimization of irrigation performance and appropriate agricultural activities such as green manure crops or legumes cultivation to increase soil fertility, can be a solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the South Khorasan region.
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