Comparison of Energy of Planting Methods in Wheat Production in a Semi-Arid Region

Abstract

For sustainable agriculture, efficient use of energy is of utmost importance. This study was conducted for a period of 3 years in Central Anatolia region of Turkey to find out how the energy balance was affected under different planting methods. Split plot design with four replications was used in the study. While the main plots included planting methods, the subplots included the varieties. Energy use efficiency, energy productivity, specific energy and net energy were investigated. According to the results obtained, energy inputs were found to be lower in bed planting (26.38 GJ ha(-1)), when compared with conventional flat planting (26.51 GJ ha(-1)). Energy use efficiency was found to be higher in conventional flat planting (7.15) when compared with bed planting (5.39). While grain yield (GY), biomass yield (BY) and number of spikes m(2)(NS) were found to be higher with conventional flat planting, harvest index (HI) and thousand kernel weight (TKW) were found to be higher with bed planting. It was concluded that the variety chosen was extremely important in the success of bed planting method.