CARBON FOOTPRINTING AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS OF POTATO PRODUCTION IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

Abstract

Potato J (2018) 45 (2): 116-122

CARBON FOOTPRINT AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS OF POTATO

PRODUCTION IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

Jagdev Sharma1, Paresh Chaukhande1, VK Dua1, Sushil Kumar1 and SK Chakrabarti1

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to estimate the carbon footprint and energy consumption for rainfed potato production and identify different energy efficient management practice for reducing the carbon footprint in Himachal Pradesh. For this study the data were collected for two production systems based on human and animal labour alone (production system I) and fuel operated machinery (tillers and sprayers) along with human labour (production system II). The results of this study revealed that total energy input in production system I and II for obtaining average yield of 18.30 t/ha was 27660.2 and 28731.5 MJ ha-1, respectively. Non-renewable sources accounted for 42.59% and 51.29% of total energy inputs with a corresponding average energy use efficiency of 2.38 and 2.29 MJ /kg in production system I and II, respectively. It was found that contribution of indirect energy was higher than that of direct energy and also the proportion of non-renewable energy was more than renewable resources. The analysis of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions suggested that major drivers of GHG emissions were fertilizers, manures and soil related field emissions which together on an average accounted for 48.93% of the total emissions across the production systems and nitrogenous fertilizers alone accounted for 38.48% of total emissions. Use of fuel operated tillers and sprayers resulted in marginal increase (1.79%) in total GHG emission of potato production.