Estimate energy, energy balance and economic indices of watered farming Potato Production in North of Iran

One way to evaluation of sustainable developing in agriculture is using of energy flow method. This method in an agricultural product system is the energy consuming in product operations and energy saving in produced crops. In this article, evaluation of energy balance and energy indices under rain fed farming potato in north of Iran (Guilan province) was investigated. Data were collected from 72 farms by used a face to face questionnaire method during 2010 year in Guilan province. By using of consumed data as inputs and total production as output, and their concern equivalent energy, energy balance and energy indices were calculated. Energy efficiency (energy output to input energy ratio) for watered farming potato production in this study was calculated 3.48, showing the affective use of energy in the agro ecosystems potato production. Energy balance efficiency (production energy to consumption energy ratio) for watered farming potato production in this study was calculated 2.58, showing the affective use of energy in the agro ecosystems potato production.

Article source: Volume 3, Number 11, November 2013 – IJB