Assessment of energy flow in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and potato (Solanum tubrosum) production systems in Razavi Khorasan province

Today، higher yield and a decrease in the costs of production are important objectives in agriculture. The aim of this investigation was to compare sugar beet and potato production systems in terms of energy efficiency، energy intensiveness، energy productivity، benefit-to-cost ratio and amount of renewable and non-renewable energy use. Data were collected from 153 and 54 sugar beet and potato fields using a face-to-face questionnaire in 2010. The results showed that the total energy requirement for sugar beet and potato fields was 42232 and 59611 MJ ha-1، respectively. Total energy input consumed in sugar beat and potato fields could be classified as direct، indirect، renewable and non-renewable energies that were، in sugar beet field، 57%، 43%، 31% and 69%، and in potato farms were 54%، 46%، 43% and 57%، respectively. Energy use efficiency of 13. 35 in sugar beat and 1. 55 in potato was achieved. The benefit-to-cost ratios in sugar beet and potato fields were 1. 26 and 2. 33، respectively. Based on the results of the present study، sugar beet fields had higher energy efficiency in comparison with potato fields، while potato fields yielded a higher economic benefit in comparison with sugar beet fields.