Determination of Energy Balance in Pumpkin Seed (Cucurbita pepo L.) Production

Abstract

In this study was purposed to define an energy balance of pumpkin seed production in Kavaklı town of Kırklareli province in Turkey.In order to define the energy balance of pumpkin seed production in dry conditions, trials and measurement were applied in pumpkinseed farm in the Kavaklı town of Kırklareli province. Human labour energy, machinery energy, diesel fuel energy, chemical fertilizersenergy and seed energy were computed as energy inputs. The pumpkin seedswere computed as output energy. The energy input andoutput were computed as 10022.42 MJ $ha^{-1}$and as 9611.25 MJ $ha^{-1}$ in pumpkin seed production. Energy inputs consist respectively forchemical fertilizers energy by 5266.50 MJ $ha^{-1}$(52.55%), diesel fuel energy by 3375.78 MJ $ha^{-1}$(33.68%), machinery energy by805.46 MJ $ha^{-1}$(8.04%), human labour energy by 429.04 MJ $ha^{-1}$(4.28%) and seed energy by 145.63 MJ $ha^{-1}$(1.45%). Energyefficiency, specific energy, energy productivity and net energy in pumpkin seed production were computed respectively as 0.96, 12.15MJ $kg^{-1}$, 0.08 kg MJ-1 and (-) 411.17 MJ $ha^{-1}$. 94.27% of total energy inputs in the production of pumpkin seed consisted of nonrenewable energy input.