Analysis of Energy Use Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emission in Rainfed Canola Production (Case study: Çanakkale Province, Turkey)

Abstract

Agriculture and energy are two closely related issues, agriculture not only consumes energy, but it also supplies energy. While increasing energy use in agriculture causes environmental problems such as greenhouse gas emissions, it also leads to the depletion of non-renewable energy resources. On the other hand, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancement the efficiency of energy use is among the important issues of sustainable agriculture. Therefore, this study was done to determine the energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions in rainfed canola production. Data were collected by conducting face-to-face interviews in the period of 2021-2022 in 42-farm in Çanakkale province, located in the northwest of Turkey. Results introduced that the energy use efficiency and net energy gain were 3.63 and 72786.16 MJ ha-1, respectively. In energy consumption, the highest rate of 46.62% belongs to fuel, and then nitrogen with 40.44%. The consumption of total energy is obtained as direct (46.46%), indirect (53.54%), renewable (1.07%) and non-renewable (98.93%). It has been determined that the energy requirements of the farms belong to non-renewable energy with an amount of 27384.03 MJ ha-1, and this is especially prominent in diesel fuel and nitrogen fertilizer. The results show that the agricultural production in the area where the study is carried out mostly depends on non-renewable energy sources, whereas the use of renewable energy is very low. Total greenhouse gas emissions per hectare were equivalent to 1921.66 kg CO2, and the highest amount was determined to belong to machinery and diesel fuel, with 53.20% and 32.66%, respectively. According to the results obtained in the farms where the study was carried out, it was revealed that the economic use and sustainability of energy can be strongly recommended in rainfed canola production using mechanization, especially considering the non-renewable energy inputs.