Energy Analysis of Sugarcane Production in Plant Farms

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine direct and indirect input energy in per hectare in sugarcane production alone in plant farms. The study was performed in Debel khazai Agro-Industry situated in southern region of Iran. Total energy expenditures were 148.02 GJ ha and energy output was 112.22 GJ ha in plant1 1 farms. The output/input energy ratio was 0.76. The energy intensity lies about 1.59 MJ kg and is one of the1 highest among sugarcane producing countries. Irrigation is the most energy consuming operation with about 43 % of total energy inputs. Electricity, fertilizers, fuel and machinery are the main energy inputs. The influence of the different inputs is discussed and practical measures for energy saving and environmental conservation based on energy analysis are discussed. Key words: Energy analysis Energy ratio Energy intensity Environment Sugarcane Sustainable agriculture INTRODUCTION populations, limited supply of arable land and desire for Sugarcane is known to be much more efficient in factors have encouraged an increase in energy inputs to photosynthetic efficiency than other crops because more maximize yields, minimize labor-intensive practices, or solar energy is harvested as crop. In recent years, in Brazil both [9]. Effective energy use in agriculture is one of the and other countries, it has assumed importance as a conditions for sustainable agricultural production, sinc