Efficient use of energy through organic rice–duck mutualism system

Abstract

Industrial agriculture is not efficient anymore due in particular to the use of nonrenewable energy such as fossil fuels. Organic agriculture is an alternative system that aims to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, pesticides, and mineral fertilizers. Animal-crop systems present potential mutual benefits, but such systems have been rarely studied quantitatively. Here, we compare energy inputs and outputs of organic riceduck farming with conventional rice production in Mazandaran province, Iran. Our results show that the global energy input of organic rice-duck, 79,307 MJ ha . The most used energy was fuel, amounting to 40 % of total energy for organic rice-duck and 33 % for conventional rice. Then, machinery consumed 25 % of total energy for organic rice-duck and 20 % for conventional rice. Then, fertilizers consumed 20 % of total energy in the form of organic fertilizers for organic rice-duck versus 16 % in the form of mineral fertilizers for conventional rice. Overall, our findings show that organic rice-duck farming has more energy efficiency than conventional rice farming.

A Comparison of Nitrogen Transfer and Transformation in Traditional Farming and the Rice–Duck Farming System by 15N Tracer Method

“…Moreover, ducks' movement and feeding activity in rice plots cause variations in soil distribution, thus resulting in improved soil physical properties which subsequently improve the root systems of rice plants [20]. Mutual rice-duck organic farming takes advantage of controlling plant diseases, insect pests, and increases in rice production [21]. Values are mean ±SE (n = 3).…”

Energy efficiency and emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O in organic and conventional rice production

“…The mean EE value (10.5) for deepwater organic rice in this study was 24% greater than the mean EE found in conventional rice fields, and it was close to the value calculated by Gundogmus and Bayramoglu (2006), who found a 23% higher EE in the organic system. Pirdashti, Pirdashti, Mohammadi, Baigi and Movagharnejad (2015) assessed the EE of organic and conventional rice crops in Mazandaran, a province in the northern Iranian region along the Caspian Sea, and found EE values of 1.48 for the organic system and 1.19 for the conventional system. A significant part of the organic rice energy economy comes from the practice of not using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to control weeds, pests, and diseases, as a large amount of fossil energy is consumed during the production of these products (Pimentel, 1980).…”

Energy efficiency of cacao agroforestry under traditional and organic management

“…Non-renewable energy intensity allows analyzing the capacity that agriculture has to generate value added in relation to the consumption of non-renewable energy. In order to estimate indicators 4 and 5, the total energy input is also classified into renewable and non-renewable forms (Pirdashti et al 2015). Renewable energy includes labor, organic fertilization (from outside/inside the farm), and the proportional share of renewable energy (mainly wind, hydraulic, and solar) used in the production of agrarian inputs, estimated on the basis of the information provided by Aguilera et al (2015) and the Coordinating Ministry of Strategic Sectors (MCSE 2013).…”

“…At the same time, several authors have shown the fundamental role played by traditional agriculture in the efficient use of energy (Funes-Monzote 2009;Altieri et al 2011) and the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity (Gliessman 1998). Likewise, recent research works have proved how common practices in organic and traditional managements promoting the reuse of internal biomass (Tello et al 2016) or animal-crop mutualism (Pirdashti et al 2015) actually reduce non-renewable external energy inputs, improve efficiency, and maintain the capacity to generate ecosystemic services (Guzmán and González 2015).…”