Energy Efficiency in Agriculture on the Rise

Energy Efficiency Rising in Agriculture Experts note that increased use of advanced agricultural technologies and renewable energy will boost energy efficiency in agriculture, delivering both economic and environmental benefits. According to data from TURKSTAT's 1990-2021 Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory, Turkey's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 were calculated at 564.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Energy-related emissions accounted for the largest share of total greenhouse gas emissions at 71.3%, followed by industrial processes and product use at 13.3%, agriculture at 12.8%, and waste at 2.6%. Agricultural emissions have increased by 56.5% since 1990, reaching 72.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, with energy efficiency playing a major role in reducing this figure. Prof. Dr. Türkan Aktaş, Head of the Agricultural Energy Systems Department at the Biosystems Engineering Division of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University's Faculty of Agriculture, addressing questions about the contribution of advanced agricultural technologies to energy efficiency in agriculture, stated that one of the important factors in improving energy efficiency is optimising agricultural activities according to seasonal changes through proper timing and planning in line with energy demands. Aktaş noted that while the share of energy and electricity consumption in agriculture is lower compared to residential, industrial, or transport sectors, this ratio would increase if the energy expended in the manufacture of agricultural machinery and in the production of agricultural inputs such as pesticides, seeds, and fertilisers were evaluated under agriculture rather than industry.

Harvest scheduling based on agricultural calendar provides energy efficiency

Providing information that energy used in agriculture is consumed most in agricultural machinery, greenhouse heating and cooling processes, and fertiliser and spraying applications, Aktaş said, "During harvest and post-harvest operations, there is intensive energy consumption. We also consider these post-harvest operations in terms of energy consumption. Drying, cleaning, packaging, and storage operations are important components of energy consumption." Noting that optimum performance can be achieved through the use of energy-efficient greenhouses and agricultural machinery and regular maintenance and repair of these machines during their service life, Aktaş stated that utilising waste generated during agricultural production as energy would provide both energy efficiency and effective waste management. Pointing to the possibility of increasing work efficiency and quality through the use of smart agricultural equipment and robots, Aktaş said, "It is important to operate tractors, combine harvesters, and other agricultural machinery with high energy efficiency, and to use automatic agricultural robots, precision farming applications, and drones, integrated with each other if necessary." Emphasising that over 80% of energy spent in agriculture comes from fossil fuels and over 10% from renewable energy sources, Aktaş continued as follows: "Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and biomass energy have begun to be used in agriculture. Increasing their utilisation rates will reduce electricity consumption in agricultural production. In addition to technology, optimum harvest timing based on an agricultural calendar is also an important factor. In pest control, using biological control methods instead of chemical pesticides, organic fertilisers instead of chemical fertilisers, energy-efficient cooling systems in storage and cooling, improving product processing methods, and utilising waste heat will also contribute to energy efficiency."

"We consume 50 to 180 litres of water to produce one kilogram of tomato"

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Dayıoğlu, Faculty Member of the Department of Agricultural Machinery and Technologies Engineering at Ankara University's Faculty of Agriculture, stated that uncontrolled agricultural production could be dirty production and that environmental technologies should be used in production processes. Saying that 70% of the global water cycle and 30% of energy resources are spent in agricultural food production, Dayıoğlu said, "To produce one kilogram of tomato, we consume 50 to 180 litres of water, 60-95 megajoules of energy, and we also release 1-4 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Considering that approximately 21-37% of total greenhouse gas emissions come from food production processes, it is important to use smart agricultural technologies to reduce these quantities." Dayıoğlu said that by building industry and agriculture on energy lines and integrating renewable energies such as solar, geothermal, biomass, and wind with conventional energy sources such as natural gas across the agricultural energy corridor, efficient technologies that produce and consume heating, cooling, and electricity together can be provided.

"We can create energy farming villages"

Speaking of the possibility of implementing agriculture-based energy projects, Dayıoğlu said, "We can create energy farming villages. In other words, from an urban planning perspective, we can establish energy and farming villages within the scope of rural towns that both generate energy and practise farming. Of course, this requires distribution of Turkey's population density and provision of employment opportunities. When we think comprehensively, there are very significant opportunities to plan." Dayıoğlu, describing recent production of high-value-added wild blueberries in the country, concluded by saying, "While producing wild blueberries at the bottom, you can generate energy using photovoltaic panels on top, thus planning an agricultural production process that generates its own energy, sells it to the state, and can reduce other energy items." Source