On-farm energy use in the grain and horticultural industries

Agriculture and the related primary industry requires energy as an important input. Energy is needed to a differing extent in all the stages of the agri-food chain. In this paper, on-farm energy use in the grain and horticultural industries is evaluated. It is found that the energy use varies significantly with the farm enterprises and also the farming systems, including irrigation and heating/cooling methods. The total direct on-farm energy use for grain grown under dryland conditions with no tillage may be as low as 0.35 GJ/ha, while for horticultural products, the direct on-farm energy use may reach up to 20000 GJ/ha for tomatoes grown in greenhouses. The large variation of energy uses may indicate the significant opportunities for reducing energy use in these industries