Energy balance of silage maize irrigated by drip irrigation in thrace region of turkey

Abstract

Silage maize production was evaluated for energy cost, energy efficiency and net energy in this study. The silage maize was irrigated with drip irrigation. Mechanisation, amount and type of inputs and output were determined from Turkish Ministry of Food and Agriculture and questionnaires carried out with 4 farms in Thrace Region, Turkey. Amounts of the energy per area used for silage maize production were calculated from energy equivalents. In addition, energy efficiency and net energy value were calculated for different energy equivalents of silage maize. Energy efficiency and net energy were calculated 20.2 and 745 034 MJ ha–1 for silage consist of 25% grain (energy equivalent 14.70 MJ kg–1), respectively. Energy efficiency and net energy were determined for different energy equivalent of silage maize. Energy efficiency was found as 19.4 and net energy 712 317.4 MJ ha–1 for 12.95 MJ kg–1, 425217.4 MJ ha–1 for 8.0 MJ kg–1, and 280 217.4 MJ ha–1 for 5.50 MJ kg–1. Specific energy and energy productivity were determined 0.7 MJ kg–1 and 1.5 kg MJ–1 for silage maize. Direct energy was 8887.75 MJ ha–1 and 22.92%, indirect energy 29 894.84 MJ ha–1 and 77.08% in total input energy. Renewable energy was so small as 142.07 MJ ha–1 and 0.37% and non-renewable energy 38 640.53 MJ ha–1 and 99.63% in total input energy. © 2020, Scibulcom Ltd.. All rights reserved.