Assessment of energy use efficiency and carbon emissions in mechanized versus traditional farming

Abstract

How much energy does modern agriculture really consume compared to manual methods, and what price does the atmosphere pay? This research compared energy use efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions between mechanized and traditional rice-wheat farming across 45 farms in each category within Mymensingh district, Bangladesh. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires and field measurements during the 2023 Boro rice and Rabi wheat seasons (January-June 2023). Energy inputs were classified into direct (human labor, diesel, electricity) and indirect sources (fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, machinery). Carbon emissions were estimated using IPCC guidelines. Mechanized farms consumed 23,968.1 MJ ha⁻¹, which was 2.08 times the 11,387.3 MJ ha⁻¹ for traditional farms. Diesel fuel and machinery accounted for 47.6% of mechanized energy input. Carbon emissions reached 2,757.9 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ for mechanized versus 953.5 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ for traditional methods. The energy use efficiency stood at 3.41 for mechanized and 2.87 for traditional systems. These findings suggest mechanized farming offers better energy productivity but carries a heavier carbon footprint, pointing toward emission mitigation strategies.