Determination of energy balance and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of cotton cultivation in Turkey: A case study from Bismil district of Diyarbakır province

Abstract

In this study, the energy balance and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) of cotton cultivation in Bismil district of Diyarbakır province in Turkey was defined. The energy balance and GHG of cotton cultivation was computed by conducting face to face surveys with 73 farms in the 2018-2019 cultivation season, which were selected by simple random sampling method. The energy input and output in cotton cultivation were computed as 54 617.62 MJ ha-1 and 65 984.42 MJ ha-1, respectively. Energy inputs occurs of electricity energy with 18 608.40 MJ ha-1 (34.06%), chemical fertilizers energy with 15 254.67 MJ ha-1 (27.93%), diesel fuel energy with 14 364.68 (26.30%), irrigation water energy with 3 559.50 MJ ha-1 (6.53%), machinery energy with 1 152.79 MJ ha-1 (2.11%), chemicals energy with 1 075.76 MJ ha-1 (1.96%), seed energy with 307.98 MJ ha-1 (0.57%), human labour energy with 293.84 MJ ha-1 (0.54%), respectively. Total energy inputs in cotton cultivation can be classified as 67.43% direct, 32.57% indirect, 7.62% renewable and 92.38% non-renewable. Energy use efficiency, specific energy, energy productivity and net energy in cotton cultivation were computed as 1.21, 9.77 MJ kg-1, 0.10 kg MJ-1 and 11 366.80 MJ ha-1, respectively. Total GHG emissions were computed as 6 482.36 kgCO2-eqha-1 for cotton cultivation with the greatest input part for electricity with 47.94% (3 107.60 kgCO2-eqha-1). The electricity followed up nitrogen with 16.29% (1 055.67 kgCO2-eqha-1), irrigation water with 14.82% (960.50 kgCO2-eqha-1), diesel fuel with 10.86% (704.08 kgCO2-eqha-1), seed with 3.07% (199.14 kgCO2-eqha-1 ), chemicals with 2.28% (147.76 kgCO2-eqha-1), phosphorous with 1.78% (115.64 kgCO2-eqha-1), human labour with 1.62% (104.94 kgCO2-eqha-1), machinery with 1.26% (81.85 kgCO2-eqha-1) and potassium with 0.08% (5.18 kgCO2-eqha-1), respectively. Additionally, GHG ratio value was computed as 1.16 kgCO2-eqkg-1 in cotton cultivation.