A Comparative Study of Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Canola Production

Abstract

In this research, the energy flow and production energy indices of canola cultivation in Trakya province of Turkey, Golestan and Mazandaran provinces of Iran were compared. Diesel fuel and chemical fertilizer inputs were the highest consumer of energy in the production of canola in these three regions. The results indicated that despite the higher energy use of machinery in Trakya province of Turkey, the energy use of diesel fuel in this province is less than the energy consumed in the two northern provinces of Iran, which could be due to available old machines for the production of canola in Mazandaran and Golestan provinces. Total greenhouse gas emissions of canola production for these regions were computed 562.85, 652.86 and 887.30 kgCO 2 eq ha, respectively. The inputs of chemical fertilizer and diesel fuel in canola production produced the highest percentage of gas emissions in these three areas. Energy consumption for potential feedstock production for one kg production of biodiesel fuel in these provinces was calculated as 14.76, 20.66 and 37.77 MJ, respectively. The amounts of greenhouse gas emissions for potential feedstock production for one kg production of biodiesel were obtained 0.45, 0.76 and 1.17 kgCO 2 eq for Trakya, Golestan and Mazandaran provinces, respectively.