Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF TILLAGE SYSTEMS ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR FABA BEAN (VICIA FABA L.) PRODUCTION

Chali P. Kenea, Zewdu A. Debele, Kishor P. Kolhe and Simie T. Teklu

Abstract

Unidentified types of tillage systems used for different tillage activities, expose workers to various unanticipated energy consumption and costs. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), and No-tillage (NT) systems on energy consumption for faba bean production. The field experiments were carried out for two years from 2021-2022 at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center (KARC), and for data analysis, SPSS statistical software was used. The experimental field was designed by using Randomized Complete Block Design method, with three treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of Conventional Tillage (tillage with mouldboard plow and seed planting), Minimum Tillage (minimum soil disturbance with a cultivator and seed planting), and No-Tillage (direct seed planting). Input energy parameters; like Biological Energy (BE), Chemical Energy (ChE), and Field Operation Energy (FoE) were calculated for each tillage system. B.E had reported higher energy in MT (217.99 GJ/ha and FOE also had higher in CT (25.1(GJ/ha). Grain yield output in 2021 and 2022 was (409.9kg/ha) and (567.3kg/ha) respectively. The straw yield was 390.1kg/ha in 2021 and 506.8kg/ ha in 2022, respectively. The results of Energy indices for CT, MT, and NT systems were obtained. In this regard, the CT system had a higher net energy gain (17823.28J/ha), Energy use efficiency (40.82), and Energy Profitability (39.04) respectively, than the NT systems. Minimum tillage also had a higher energy in energy Productivity of 22.53MJ/ha than No tillage (21.69MJ/ha). Lastly, higher Specific energy was observed in NT (0.048) than in CT (0.045). The lowest human labor of 90.92 hrs/ha, and field consumption of 31.03litres/ha, was observed for no tillage system. And highest grain yields of 5565.5 Kg/ha, and Net energy gained of 17823.28 GJ/ha were noted for conventional tillage system at KARC Kulumsa village, Ethiopia.