Energy auditing of diversified rice–wheat cropping systems in Indo-gangetic plains

V.P. Chaudhary, B. Gangwar, D.K. Pandey and K.S. Gangwar

Energy, 2009, vol. 34, issue 9, 1091-1096

Abstract: The field investigations were carried out for energy use analysis in terms of different input requirements and outputs harvested under the diversified rice–wheat cropping systems at the research farm of Project Directorate for Cropping Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut, India during the year 2000–2004. The experiments were conducted on rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori and Paol) system involving 8 sequences using diversification, furrow irrigated raised bed system (FIRB) of sowing wheat, use of summer period for deep ploughing or raising legume crops for seed or green manure to study the energy dynamics of different diversified cropping systems. Results revealed that total energy use was highest in rice–potato–wheat (i.e. 77,601MJ/ha in flat bed & 75,697MJ/ha in raised bed) followed by rice–wheat–sesbania (i.e. 48,770MJ/ha in flat & 47,830MJ/ha in raised bed) and rice–wheat–greengram (i.e. 48,414MJ/ha in flat & 47,482MJ/ha in raised bed). In overall, the raised bed sowing of wheat in the cropping system consumed 6–11% less fertilizer energy than flat bed while saved up to 4.2% energy through irrigation. The total output energy of the system was recorded significantly higher in rice–potato–wheat system (i.e. 222,836MJ/ha in flat bed & 218,065MJ/ha in raised bed) in comparison to rice–wheat–greengram (i.e. 177,477MJ/ha in flat bed & 175,125MJ/ha in raised bed), rice–wheat–sesbania (i.e. 172,000MJ/ha in flat bed & 168,919MJ/ha in raised bed) and rice–wheat system (i.e. 156,085MJ/ha in flat bed & 151,862MJ/ha in raised bed). The significantly higher net return of energy was obtained in rice–potato–wheat system as compared to other systems. This system required about 75% more input energy but provided about 42% more output energy compared to conventional rice–wheat system. About 10% higher output energy was obtained through growing greengram in summer for grain and foliage incorporation while 14% gain obtained by green manuring sesbania, when compared to deep summer ploughing after wheat harvest.

Keywords: Input and output energy; Net return energy; Cropping systems; Energy in agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:34:y:2009:i:9:p:1091-1096

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2009.04.017

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