Energy Assessment for First and Second Season Conventional and Transgenic Corn
Open Access
- 2 June 2022
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Agriengineering
- Vol. 4 (2), 483-488
- https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering4020032
Abstract
The exploitation of natural resources for agriculture is growing to fulfill the demand for food, which requires the rational use of inputs for sustainable production. Brazilian agricultural production stands out on the international scene. For instance, corn is one of the most exported products in Brazil, which is possible through the planting in the second crop season within a year, called the “off-season”. In addition to being a technique that allows soil conservation, it also reduces the use of inputs and soil tillage. The agricultural production systems require a large amount of energy throughout their processes, mainly through inputs and fuels. Energy flows allow for the identification of the efficiency of the production system and, consequently, its sustainability. Indicators regarding net energy gain per area (Energy balance) and energy profitability (Energy Return on Investment) were applied. The first-season system presented higher energy demand when compared to the second-season system, with a difference of 10.24 GJ ha−1 between the conventional ones and 10.47 GJ ha−1 between the transgenic ones. However, the indicators showed higher energy efficiency in the transgenic off-season corn production, in which the return on energy was 55% higher, and the energy incorporation was 35% lower when compared to conventional first-season corn.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (307114/2019)
This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit:
- Energy, carbon and water footprints on agricultural machineryBiosystems Engineering, 2020
- Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions using exergyJournal of Cleaner Production, 2020
- Optimal energy performance on allocating energy cropsBiosystems Engineering, 2019
- Energy demand and greenhouse gases emissions in the life cycle of tractorsBiosystems Engineering, 2016
- Energy embodiment in Brazilian agriculture: an overview of 23 cropsScientia Agricola, 2015
- Sustainable Intensification in Agriculture: Premises and PoliciesScience, 2013
- Material flow determination through agricultural machinery managementScientia Agricola, 2010
- Ethanol Production Using Corn, Switchgrass, and Wood; Biodiesel Production Using Soybean and SunflowerNatural Resources Research, 2005
- Thermodynamics of the Corn-Ethanol Biofuel CycleCritical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 2004
- The power of one: developing a headline indicator for tracking progress to sustainability in New ZealandInternational Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2004