A comparative analysis of energy use patterns in small and large scale irrigated rice farming systems: A case study in Ayutthaya Province in the central region of Thailand

Rice is not only the staple food of many countries but it is also a source of earning of millions of people. In Thailand, rice farming is the major source of income of the farmers which is highly dependent on the energy inputs. There is a complex relationship between energy use pattern and rice yield. This study was performed to examine the energy use pattern of the rice growers depending upon the size of the farms and its relationship the crop production in the Ayutthaya province in central region of Thailand. Its subjects are the field practices, technology use and chemical inputs. Information was collected through the field survey. Results shows that mean energy output-input ratio of small farmers is higher with low specific energy and high energy productivity than the large farmers. Energy ratio is 8.20 in small farms, 7.00 in medium farms and 6.02 in large farms.(Résumé d' auteur