Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular India

Increasing non-renewable energy inputs and boosting environmental emissions while lowering economic returns are the primary concerns in agricultural cropping systems. This study assesses the energy consumption and ecological, environmental, and economic performance of traditional and alternative con...

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Main Authors: Shiladitya Dey, Kumar Abbhishek, Suman Saraswathibatla, Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath, Piyush Kumar Singh, Debabrata Das
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005532
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author Shiladitya Dey
Kumar Abbhishek
Suman Saraswathibatla
Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath
Piyush Kumar Singh
Debabrata Das
author_facet Shiladitya Dey
Kumar Abbhishek
Suman Saraswathibatla
Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath
Piyush Kumar Singh
Debabrata Das
author_sort Shiladitya Dey
collection DOAJ
description Increasing non-renewable energy inputs and boosting environmental emissions while lowering economic returns are the primary concerns in agricultural cropping systems. This study assesses the energy consumption and ecological, environmental, and economic performance of traditional and alternative conservation rice-based cropping systems. Furthermore, the study also aims to identify the efficiency of resource use in rice-based cropping systems and the level of overused inputs. The cropping systems included in this study are conventional rice-maize-fallow (CR-CM-F), conventional rice-maize-cover crop (CR-CM-CC), conventional rice-rice-fallow (CR-CR-F), direct seeded rice-zero-tillage maize-fallow (DR-ZTM-F), direct seeded rice-zero-tillage maize-cover crop (DR-ZTM-CC), and direct seeded rice-rice -fallow (DR-DR-F). We have collected primary data from 1140 farmers through a face-to-face questionnaire survey from Andhra Pradesh, India. We have used the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure the technical efficiency and estimate the potential energy inputs saving under different cropping systems. Furthermore, the slack-based DEA (SBM-DEA) model is used to estimate the eco-efficiency of different production systems and the level of overused inputs in the case of conservation cropping systems. The results show that conservation cropping systems are more efficient and environmentally suitable compared to conventional systems. The study also finds that DR-ZTM-CC and DR-ZTM-F are more efficient in terms of economics, energy, and environmental impact than other production systems. The resulting mean eco-efficiency score of 0.68–0.76 for conservation cropping systems indicates considerable potential to reduce energy inputs (diesel fuel, machinery uses, and nitrogen fertilizer) and GHG emissions without sacrificing the crop yield in conservation cropping systems. The findings of this study have huge implications for energy optimization, leading to a net zero in the major cropping systems.
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spelling doaj-art-d5ce316a29794e2da10e572d01ad09ca2025-08-20T02:49:08ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432024-12-011810151610.1016/j.jafr.2024.101516Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular IndiaShiladitya Dey0Kumar Abbhishek1Suman Saraswathibatla2Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath3Piyush Kumar Singh4Debabrata Das5Dr. Reddy's Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana State, 500082, IndiaDr. Reddy's Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana State, 500082, India; Corresponding author.Dr. Reddy's Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana State, 500082, IndiaDr. Reddy's Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana State, 500082, India; CRDIST, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India; CORAL, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, IndiaCRDIST, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, IndiaDr. Reddy's Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana State, 500082, IndiaIncreasing non-renewable energy inputs and boosting environmental emissions while lowering economic returns are the primary concerns in agricultural cropping systems. This study assesses the energy consumption and ecological, environmental, and economic performance of traditional and alternative conservation rice-based cropping systems. Furthermore, the study also aims to identify the efficiency of resource use in rice-based cropping systems and the level of overused inputs. The cropping systems included in this study are conventional rice-maize-fallow (CR-CM-F), conventional rice-maize-cover crop (CR-CM-CC), conventional rice-rice-fallow (CR-CR-F), direct seeded rice-zero-tillage maize-fallow (DR-ZTM-F), direct seeded rice-zero-tillage maize-cover crop (DR-ZTM-CC), and direct seeded rice-rice -fallow (DR-DR-F). We have collected primary data from 1140 farmers through a face-to-face questionnaire survey from Andhra Pradesh, India. We have used the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure the technical efficiency and estimate the potential energy inputs saving under different cropping systems. Furthermore, the slack-based DEA (SBM-DEA) model is used to estimate the eco-efficiency of different production systems and the level of overused inputs in the case of conservation cropping systems. The results show that conservation cropping systems are more efficient and environmentally suitable compared to conventional systems. The study also finds that DR-ZTM-CC and DR-ZTM-F are more efficient in terms of economics, energy, and environmental impact than other production systems. The resulting mean eco-efficiency score of 0.68–0.76 for conservation cropping systems indicates considerable potential to reduce energy inputs (diesel fuel, machinery uses, and nitrogen fertilizer) and GHG emissions without sacrificing the crop yield in conservation cropping systems. The findings of this study have huge implications for energy optimization, leading to a net zero in the major cropping systems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005532Rice-based cropping systemsEnergy analysisTechnical efficiencyEco-efficiencySlack-based data envelopment analysisGHG emissions
spellingShingle Shiladitya Dey
Kumar Abbhishek
Suman Saraswathibatla
Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath
Piyush Kumar Singh
Debabrata Das
Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular India
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Rice-based cropping systems
Energy analysis
Technical efficiency
Eco-efficiency
Slack-based data envelopment analysis
GHG emissions
title Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular India
title_full Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular India
title_fullStr Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular India
title_full_unstemmed Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular India
title_short Can cropping systems be energy efficient: Performance measure for various rice-based cropping systems in peninsular India
title_sort can cropping systems be energy efficient performance measure for various rice based cropping systems in peninsular india
topic Rice-based cropping systems
Energy analysis
Technical efficiency
Eco-efficiency
Slack-based data envelopment analysis
GHG emissions
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005532
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