Energy Input-Output Analysis for Onion Production in Major Onion Growing Areas of Karnataka State

Energy and agricultural production are interlinked. Crop cultivation process involves energy use as well as energy production. A study was thus carried out to estimate theenergy input and output for onion cultivation in Karnataka State of India. Onion is an agricultural produce found in almost every household in India. Farm operations in onion cultivation include land preparation, sowing, manure and fertilizer application, plant protection, irrigation, harvesting, detopping and grading. Data for this study was collected through a structured survey schedule and converted into the respective energy equivalents. Energy parameters in terms of direct energy (included men, women, tractor, diesel, and electricity), indirect energy (included seed, fertilizer, pesticide, and machinery) and output energy were calculated. Fertilizer energy (8,849.26 MJ ha-1) was found to be maximum utilized energy source in onion cultivation followed by electricity (3,983.44 MJ ha-1), diesel (2,992.14 MJ ha-1) and women (2,966.78 MJ ha-1) contributing about 44.98%, 20.25%, 15.21% and 15.08% of input energy, respectively. Fertilizer application (8,968.41 MJ ha-1) had the highest share of energy consumption operation followed by irrigation (4,135.90 MJ ha-1) and land preparation (2,904.98 MJ ha-1). Onion cultivation consumed a total input energy of 19,782.29 MJ ha-1 (54.10% direct energy and 45.90% indirect energy). The output energy was calculated as 21,826.40 MJ ha-1 with an energy ratio of 1.11. The study elucidated that building a bridge between farmer’s awareness as well as education and developed agricultural technologies by research institutions can only be a helpful strategy to increase energy productivity and efficiency of overall agricultural production in the near future.