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Energy self-reliance, net-energy production and GHG emissions in Danish organic cash crop farms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2008

N. Halberg ,
R. Dalgaard ,
J.E. Olesen  and
T. Dalgaard
N. Halberg*
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, University of Aarhus, PO Box 50, DK 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
R. Dalgaard
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, University of Aarhus, PO Box 50, DK 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
J.E. Olesen
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, University of Aarhus, PO Box 50, DK 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
T. Dalgaard
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, University of Aarhus, PO Box 50, DK 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
*
*Corresponding author: Niels.Halberg@agrsci.dk
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Abstract

Organic farming (OF) principles include the idea of reducing dependence of fossil fuels, but little has been achieved on this objective so far in Danish OF. Energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from an average 39 ha cash crop farm were calculated and alternative crop rotations for bio-energy production were modeled. Growing rapeseed on 10% of the land could produce bio-diesel to replace 50–60% of the tractor diesel used on the farm. Increasing grass-clover area to 20% of the land and using half of this yield for biogas production could change the cash crop farm to a net energy producer, and reduce GHG emissions while reducing the overall output of products only marginally. Increasing grass-clover area would improve the nutrient management on the farm and eliminate dependence on conventional pig slurry if the biogas residues were returned to cash crop fields.

Keywords

biogasenergylife cycle assessmentgreenhouse gasrapeseedcrop rotation
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 23 , Special Issue 1: Researching Sustainable Agricultural Systems, ISOFAR 2005 , March 2008 , pp. 30 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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