Aghabeygi Mona, Strauss Veronika, Bayer Lukas, Paul Carsten, Helming Katharina
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e. V., Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.
System Dynamics Group, Department of Geography, University of Bergen, Fosswinckelsgate 6, 5007, Bergen, Norway.
Heliyon. 2024 Oct 16;10(20):e39417. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39417. eCollection 2024 Oct 30.
In light of recent fluctuations in energy prices, there has been a growing emphasis on energy efficiency within the agricultural sector. At the same time, ongoing soil degradation in intensive agricultural systems reinforced the need for soil health improving agricultural practices. This study combines the two aspects and examines the effects of sustainable soil management practices on total energy consumption, specifically focusing on fertilizer and pesticide energies, as well as economic indicators such as contribution margins. Using Germany as a case study, we assess three general soil improving management practices: diversified crop rotations, organic fertilizers (green or liquid manure) instead of mineral fertilizers, and no-till/reduced till systems instead of ploughing. Drawing on data from the Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der Landwirtschaft e.V. (KTBL) (Board of Trustees for Technology and Construction in Agriculture) database for German agricultural planning, we consider variations in yield potentials, soil types, and farming systems. Our results reveal that using mineral fertilizers and shifting to more diverse crop rotations can reduce energy consumption by approximately 21,000 MJ/ha on average (7 % of total energy) over a 6-year rotation. Likewise, adopting no-till systems instead of ploughing decreases energy use by 12,000 MJ/ha (5 % of total energy). Economically, organic farming offers a €4000/ha higher contribution margin compared to conventional methods in fertilization and tillage. These sustainable practices improve soil health, conserve energy, and enhance economic viability. With fluctuating energy prices, organic farming could become more economically attractive and accelerate its adoption across agricultural landscapes.
鉴于近期能源价格的波动，农业部门对能源效率的重视日益增加。与此同时，集约化农业系统中持续的土壤退化强化了采用改善土壤健康的农业 practices 的必要性。本研究将这两个方面结合起来，考察了可持续土壤管理 practices 对总能源消耗的影响，特别关注化肥和农药能源，以及诸如边际贡献等经济指标。以德国为例，我们评估了三种常见的改善土壤的管理 practices：多样化作物轮作、使用有机肥料（绿肥或液体粪肥）而非矿物肥料，以及采用免耕/少耕系统而非翻耕。利用德国农业规划的农业技术与建筑管理协会（KTBL）数据库中的数据，我们考虑了产量潜力、土壤类型和耕作系统的差异。我们的结果表明，在六年轮作期内，使用矿物肥料并转向更多样化的作物轮作平均可减少约 21,000 兆焦/公顷的能源消耗（占总能源的 7%）。同样，采用免耕系统而非翻耕可减少 12,000 兆焦/公顷的能源使用（占总能源的 5%）。在经济方面，与传统施肥和耕作方法相比，有机农业的边际贡献高出 4000 欧元/公顷。这些可持续 practices 改善了土壤健康，节约了能源，并提高了经济可行性。随着能源价格的波动，有机农业在经济上可能会更具吸引力，并加速其在整个农业领域的采用。
