A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF WHEAT PRODUCTION UNDER DIFFERENT TILLAGE PRACTICES IN MIDDLE ANATOLIA OF TURKEY

Conservation tillage practices results in lower energy consumption as well as soil erosion protection, structural damage control, and a reduction in time and energy required for seedbed preparation. Different soil tillage practices were examined in 2013-2014 production year on clay soil entisol. The treatments were carried out in natural field conditions with four soil tillage treatments. The tillage treatments were: moldboardplow + discharrow + roller + seeding (T1), vertical shaft rotory tiller + roller + seeding (T2), winged chisel + roller + seeding (T3) and no-till (direct seeding) (T4). Wheat yield parameters and energy indices (net energy gain, energy productivity) were recorded. There were significant differences (P < 0.01) among the treatments in terms of energy indices and for wheat yield and biomass values. It was found that T4 had the highest grain and biomass yield and T2 had the lowest. T3 had the lowest energy productivity and energy use efficiency and T4 had the highest. The least energy consumed for wheat produced was 3.63 Mj kg(-1) for T4 and the most was 4.71 Mj kg(-1) for T2. The highest energy use efficiency were in the T4 (11.56), and followed by T2 (9.80). It was concluded that T4 was the most efficient overall in the Middle Anatolia.