Energy use and energy efficiency in selected arable farms in central and south Eastern Europe

Abstract

The main objective of the project "Mechanization and Energy use in selected arable farms in Central and South Eastern Europe (CASEE)" was to analyse energy characteristics of arable farming in Slovak Republic, Romania, Serbia and Austria, to compare results and identify possibilities of its improvements. The large scale farms are: the university farm of the Slovak University of Agriculture (SK) with 1.112 ha arable land, a cooperative farm in Risnovice (SK) with an arable land of 1.266 ha, a family farm in Apahida-Transylvania (RO) with 400 ha, a farm in Viisoara-Transylvania (RO) with 600 ha, a family farm in Sremska Mitrovica (SRB) with an arable land of 115 ha, a family farm near Novi Sad (SRB) with an arable land of 450 ha and a family farm in Ansfelden/Linz (A) with 368 ha. The farms were visited by the interviewer once or more times and the relevant data, used machinery, quantity of inputs, e.g. fuel, pesticides, fertilizer, seed and yields of harvested crops, were recorded, for the production season 2012. After collection of the basic data all energy inputs and outputs, energy content of crops, were calculated in accordance with data and procedure defined by CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering), Handbook Volume V-Energy and Biomass Engineering (1999). Energy input and net energy gain, expressed in MJ/ha, were used to calculate energy characteristics of crops' production: energy productivity-kg/MJ, energy efficiency index, energy ratio, energy intensity-MJ/kg, fuel intensity-L/kg. The intensity of all used farm inputs (fuel, seeds, fertilizer and pesticide) in crop production systems influences the energy efficiency. The fuel consumption for winter wheat production of the analysed farms ranges between 54 and 91 l/ha. The mean energy ratio (energy-output/energy-input) for winter wheat is 5.6 with ranges between 4.8 and 7.1. Besides the fuel consumption the energy-input via the nitrogen-fertilizer is the main energy consumer in cropping systems. It is clearly identified that the highest possible energy savings are possible by reduction of fertilizers, first of all nitrogen.