Energetic balance of soybean and corn production systems in a farm of the west of Paraná, Brazil - DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v29i2.233

Abstract

The energetic balance permits to identify all the possible energy inputs and output in the production system, resulting in the final energetic balance of the productive process. The determination of better strategies to opt for the agricultural production system depends on the analysis of the energy efficiency and on the specific environmental conditions for the culture. This will provide better results when the energy inputs are performed according to the recommended criteria and quantity for each culture. The aim of this work was to perform the energetic balance in the corn and soybean productions, in two years of consecutive management, on no-tillage system, in a farm of the west of Paraná The energy inputs and outputs were determined through the calorific power of the material involved in each production system. The energetic efficiency was obtained performing the ratio between the total amounts of energy outputs and inputs during the productive process. Results indicated that the expenses with harvest and transport and the intensive use of nitrogen in the corn, in the two years of production, contributed for the increase of energy consumption, and a decrease of the energetic efficiency.