The Relationship between Energy Inputs and Crop Yield in Greenhouse Basil Production

Authors
R. Pahlavan
M. Omid
A. Akram
Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Agricultureal Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine a relationship between energy input and yield in greenhouse basil production in Esfahan Province, Iran. Data were collected from 26 greenhouse basil producers through a face-to-face questionnaire. The data collected belonged to the production period of 2009–2010 with the following results obtained. A total energy input of 236,057 MJ ha-1 was estimated to be required for basil production. The share of electricity (75.68% of the total energy input) was the highest form of energy required. The expense was followed by plastic cover (9.69%) and chemical fertilizer spending (7.28%), respectively. The energy ratio, productivity, specific, and net energies were found out as 0.25, 0.11 kg MJ-1, 9 MJ kg-1 and -177377 MJ ha-1, respectively. A determination of the efficient allocation of energy resources was modeled through Cobb–Douglas production function. The results of econometric model estimation revealed that the impact of energies spent in the form of human labour and plastic coverings on yield was significantly positive at 1% level. Sensitivity analysis of the energy inputs revealed that the marginal physical productivity (MPP) value related to human labour was estimated as the highest.

Keywords

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 14, Issue 6
November and December 2012
Pages 1243-1253