Plant Production in Solar Collector Greenhouses - Influence on Yield, Energy Use Efficiency and Reduction in CO2 Emissions

The global increasing food demand can be met by efficient energy utilization in mechanized agricultural productions. In this study, input–output energy flow along with CO2 emissions for different wheat production cases (C-I to C-V) were investigated to identify the one that is most energy-efficient and environment-friendly case. Data and information about input and output sources were collected from farmers through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Input and output sources were converted into energy units by energy equivalents while CO2 emissions were calculated by emission equivalents. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was conducted to compare technical efficiencies of the developed cases for optimization of inputs in inefficient cases. Results revealed that case C-Ⅴ (higher inputs, larger fields, the tendency of higher fertilizer application and tillage operations) has the highest energy inputs and outputs than the rest of the cases. Moreover, it possesses the lowest energy use efficiency and energy productivity. The highest CO2 emissions (1548 kg-CO2/ha) referred to C-Ⅴ while lowest emissions per ton of grain yield were determined in C-Ⅳ (higher electricity water pumping, moderate energy input). The grain yield increases directly with input energy in most of the cases, but it does not guarantee the highest values for energy indices. C-Ⅲ (moderate irrigations, educated farmers, various fertilizer applications) was found as an optimum case because of higher energy indices like energy use efficiency of 4.4 and energy productivity of 153.94 kg/GJ. Optimum input and better management practices may enhance energy proficiency and limit the traditionally uncontrolled CO2 emissions from wheat production. Therefore, the agricultural practices performed in C-Ⅲ are recommended for efficient cultivation of wheat in the studied area.

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Red and blue wavelengths affect the morphology, energy use efficiency and nutritional content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87911-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xiao-li Chen ◽

You-li Li ◽

Li-chun Wang ◽

Wen-zhong Guo

Keyword(s):

Energy Use ◽

Soluble Sugar ◽

Plant Production ◽

Photon Flux ◽

Nitrate Content ◽

Photoelectric Conversion ◽

Energy Use Efficiency ◽

Plant Factory ◽

Use Efficiency

AbstractSince red (R) and blue (B) LED light has different quantum efficiency and photoelectric conversion efficiency, mixed RB with different proportions of R and B results in varied energy consumption. In order to improve the energy use efficiency of the closed-type plant production systems, the effects of R and B proportions on the electric use efficiency (EUE), light use efficiency (LUE) as well as the quality of butter leaf lettuce were evaluated in this study. Lettuce seedlings were cultivated in a plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL) and subjected to eleven combinations of R and B (100%R, 90%R, 80%R, 70%R, 60%R, 50%R, 40%R, 30%R, 20%R, 10%R, 0%R; the rest of the photons in each treatment were B) with the same total photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and photoperiod (200 ± 3 μmol·m−2·s−1, 16 h) for 35 days. The results showed that palpable petiole distortion appeared when R proportion was more than 70% and the distortion was aggravated with the increase of R proportion. The highest EUE and LUE were both detected in lettuce under 90%R treatment, which were respectively 3.64% and 1.20%. The least number of photons and the least electricity amount required to produce 1 g dry weight of lettuce was respectively 2.92 mol and 1.67 MJ, which were both detected in lettuce treated with 90%R. The sucrose content in lettuce treated with more than 50%R was significantly higher than those treated with less than 50%R (50%R included). Lettuce treated with 80%R possessed the highest soluble sugar content as well as the lowest crude fiber and nitrate content (not significantly different with the minimum values). R proportion exceeding 50% in mixed RB light was beneficial to the accumulation of hexose and sucrose, as well as the decomposition of nitrate in lettuce. The vitamin C content in lettuce treated with 100%R was significantly higher than that in lettuce under other treatments in the study. On the whole, the study indicated that the proportions of R and B affected the energy use efficiency and quality of lettuce in closed plant factory, however the responses of plants to the proportions of R and B varied according to different indexes. Thus, some indexes of top priority should be determined before choosing the optimal proportions of R and B.

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Effects of lighting, semi-closed greenhouse and split-root fertigation on energy use and CO2 emissions in high latitude cucumber growing

Agricultural and Food Science ◽

10.23986/afsci.8682 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 220-235 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Timo Kaukoranta ◽

Juha Näkkilä ◽

Liisa Särkkä ◽

Kari Jokinen

Keyword(s):

Light Intensity ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

High Latitude ◽

Energy Use ◽

Energy Use Efficiency ◽

Split Root ◽

Electricity Use ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Supplemental Lighting ◽

Seasonal Heat

Effects of supplemental lighting, semi-closed greenhouse and split-root fertigation on weekly to seasonal heat and electricity use and CO2 emissions in cucumber growing were estimated in Finland. With moderate lighting (170 W m-2 above rows, 60 W m-2 inter-row) in a ventilated greenhouse, seasonal electricity and heat use (MJ kg-1 cucumber) were 20–50 and 10–25, 17–30 and 3–8, 38–55 and 10–18 in spring, summer and autumn to mid-winter, respectively. In summer, a semi-closed greenhouse improved energy use efficiency by 20–30% and split-root fertigation by 0–15%. Raising light intensity and applying inter- row lighting allowed higher yields in autumn to mid-winter without affecting electricity use efficiency. In other seasons, increasing the lighting decreased the efficiency. The emissions largely resulted from electricity use. Direct emissions (kg CO2-eq kg-1) based on propane and electricity from the national grid were 2.5, 1.5 and 3.3 in spring, summer and autumn to mid-winter, respectively. Efficiency of using solar and supplemental PAR was markedly lower in summer than in other seasons. The results provide profile of energy use and emissions and point to ways to reduce them.

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Chinaʼs Economic Growth, Energy Efficiency, and Industrial Development: Nonlinear Effects on Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society ◽

10.1155/2021/5547092 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Donghai Zhou ◽

Binxia Chen ◽

Jiahui Li ◽

Yuanying Jiang

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Energy Efficiency ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Industrial Development ◽

Energy Use ◽

Energy Use Efficiency ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Growth Energy ◽

The Impact

This paper analyzes the time-varying impacts of Chinaʼs economic growth, energy efficiency, and industrial development on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from 1970 to 2019. First, we examined and found that there are two significant structural changes in the CO2 sequence over the years, and there was a significant nonlinear relationship among the four. The first nonlinear structural model constructed is the TVP regression model. According to the Bayesian model comparison criterion, TVP-SV-VAR was selected as the second constructed model from four types of VAR models containing nonlinear structures. The results show that the conduction intensity value of energy use efficiency to CO2 emissions has increased year by year, from 0.45 in 1971 to 0.97 in 2019. The short-term transmission mechanism of energy use efficiency to carbon emissions is the most significant. The conduction intensity of Chinaʼs economic growth on CO2 emissions increases year by year. Chinaʼs economic growth plays a major role in long-term CO2 emission reduction. The impact of industrial development on CO2 emissions reached a peak of 0.34 in 1977, and the intensity of the impact has basically stabilized at 0.26.

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