No-tillage intercropping with a robotic mower: Advancing a high productivity, low-carbon and energy-efficient organic farming system

Qiliang Huang, Kai Someya, Ratih Kemala Dewi and Masakazu Komatsuzaki

Energy, 2025, vol. 324, issue C

Abstract: Solar-powered farm machinery enhances sustainable agriculture by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Its integration into no-tillage (NT) systems may further enhance environmental benefits and organic farming viability. While intercropping improves productivity and resource efficiency, its sustainability when combined with NT and solar-powered machinery remains unclear. This study evaluates NT and intercropping with solar-powered machinery in organic cherry tomato production. A split-plot field experiment compared two tillage methods [NT and rotary tillage (RT)] and two cropping patterns [cherry tomato/peanut intercropping (TP) and monocropping (M)]. Solar-powered robotic mowers replaced conventional mowers in NT to enhance environmental benefits. Sustainability was assessed through crop productivity, energy efficiency, carbon footprint, and economic profitability. NT reduced fossil fuel and labor use, lowering energy input by 63.1 % compared to RT. NT-TP further improved yields, achieving 13.8 % higher total output than NT-M. Despite higher seed and labor inputs, NT-TP enhanced energy efficiency and profitability due to increased yield. It also improved carbon sequestration, raising soil organic carbon by 1.5 % and partially offsetting carbon emissions, leading to the lowest carbon footprint (816.9 kg CO2 eq ha−1). These findings demonstrate NT-TP's potential to enhance yield, energy efficiency, and profitability while reducing the carbon footprint, being a sustainable management for organic farming.

Keywords: Conservation agriculture; Solar robotic agriculture machinery; Carbon footprint; Energy budgeting; Economic benefits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:324:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225014938

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.135851

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