Tillage Effects on Energy Use Efficiency in Safflower Production in Middle Anatolia

Abstract

still occurring at a rate of 1.9 billion tons per year, and 108 million acres (29 percent of cropland) is still eroding at excessive rates (USDA-ARS, 1997).Conservation of agriculture is a multi-dimensional approach the level of both energy usage and cost is minimized; and which involves the leaving of crop residues on surface to decompose in situ to protect water and soil. Direct seeding makes production profitable by decreasing the water and wind erosion. Although protecting of the soil is the main goal, soil moisture, energy usage, labor, and protection of machineries are also important (Köller, 2003).Effective use of energy in agriculture is one of the conditions for sustainable agricultural production, since it provides financial savings, fossil resources preservation and air pollution reduction. Energy efficiency can be increased by decreasing the energy use from inputs such as fertilizer or tillage operations or by increasing the outputs such as crop yield. Aykas and Önal (1999) studied on how different tillage methods may affect both the yield of wheat and the amount of weed. According to results of the study, the highest yield value was 420 kg da -1 for reduced tillage, and the lowest was 350 kg da -1 for direct seeding.