Energy audit of rice production in West Sumatra province, Indonesia

Abstract

Audit energy is an appropriate method to determine the energy consumption expended in each agricultural cultivation activity, thereby reducing the wasteful use of energy. Energy consumption in rice cultivations consists of humans, fuel, machinery, seed, fertilizer and pesticides. The objective of the study was to analyze the total energy consumptions in the form of an energy audit activity on lowland rice cultivation in West Sumatera Indonesia. It is important to do, because of much energy input excessed, but less on productivity. So, by using analysis energy expenditure, productivity can be optimized with fixed input energy the costs could be minimized. Energy inputs were measured during all operating activities in rice cultivation (seeding, tillage, planting, fertilizing, spraying, weeding and harvesting). Energy input analysis based on energy sources used was divided into six parameters, namely: engine energy, fuel, humans, seeds, chemicals (pesticides) and fertilizer energy. The result showed the average of the total energy inputs in this study was 16, 816, 612 MJ/ha distributed to human, fuel, machinery, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides energy respectively 216.39; 890.75; 60.02; 983.29; 14, 207.54; and 458.60 MJ/ha. Production costs incurred in rice cultivation activities in this study were IDR 13, 107, 562/ha. Finally, the rice yield prediction model based on the input energy are Y1 = 4786.56 -28.29X1 + 36.23X2 - 24.73X3 - 8.43X4 + 0.06X5 - 0.80X6 and Y2 = 3605.11 + 5.44X2. The data of total energy were needed as a recommendation for the government to balance energy input and output on rice cultivations.