REDUCTION OF THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION AND ENERGY OPTIMIZATION FOR TOMATO PRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to optimize the energy consumption and specify reduction of GHG emission from the tomato farms in Tokat Province of Turkey. The data from tomato-growers was analyzed using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to separate the efficient and inefficient ones and to identify the wasteful uses of energy in tomato production. The study also helped to determine the effects of the energy optimization on reducing GHG emission. The results revealed that technical, pure technical and scale efficiencies of farmers were 0.71, 0.91 and 0.78, respectively. Also, energy saving target ratio for tomato production was calculated as 16.78%. It means that 7441.50 MJ ha-(1) of total input energy could be saved while holding the constant level of tomato yield. Moreover, the highest contribution to total energy saving was made by fertilizer with 37.28% of total saving, followed by diesel fuel (35.17%) and farmyard manure (9.67%). GHG emission from tomato farmers was found as 1724.70 kg CO2 e, ha(-1). With energy optimization, GHG emission can be reduced by 17.36%.