Tillage Effects on Energy Use Efficiency in Safflower Production in Middle Anatolia

In this study conducted in province of Konya, the effect on grain yield and energy productivity of three different tillage methods (conventional tillage, reduced tillage and direct seeding) in safflower production were investigated. Yield values obtained were 921 kg ha -1 for conventional tillage, 903 kg ha -1 for reduced tillage, and 822 kg ha -1 for direct seeding. In growing of safflower, it was found that the highest share in total input energy is fertilizer energy, followed by fuel-oil, seed, herbicide, and machine energy respectively. In conventional tillage, reduced tillage and direct seeding, the share of fuel-oil energy in total input were 22.86%,  14.40%,  6.20% respectively. The highest value 5.67 of the energy output-input rate was obtained from direct seeding. This rate was 5.45 for reduced tillage, and 4.97 for conventional tillage. Of all these methods, direct seeding had the least energy consumption per safflower plant produced, which was found as 3.44 MJ kg -1 . The highest value was also obtained in conventional tillage as 3.95 MJ kg -1 .