Atıf Detayı

The purpose of this study was to establish whether sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) production is a sustainable practice through determining the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by the process. Data for the study were collected using personal interviews with thirty-nine (39) farmers who grow sour cherries. The total amount of energy used (total energy input) and energy produced (total energy output) were found to be 13,652.01 MJ/ha−1 and 43,906.43 MJ/ha−1, respectively. The energy use efficiency of the sour cherry production system was determined to be 3.26; the specific energy use were 0.94 MJ/kg; the energy productivity was 1.11 kg/MJ; and the net energy use was 30,254.42 MJ/ha. The direct energy use and indirect energy use of the sour cherry production system were determined to be 45.72% and 54.28%, respectively; and the renewable and non-renewable energy use were determined to be 5.18% and 94.82%, respectively. The total amount of GHG emissions associated with the sour cherry production system was estimated to be 1367.81 kg CO2-eq/ha, and the emission intensity of the sour cherry production system was estimated to be 0.09 kg CO2-eq/kg. The fertilizer use was the largest contributor to both the total amount of energy used in the sour cherry production system and the total GHG emissions of the sour cherry production system. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that sour cherry production systems are operating beyond the energy break-even point; however, they are also reliant upon non-renewable inputs. Therefore, improving the fertilizer use efficiency and encouraging the use of renewable energy sources will improve both the environmental and economic sustainability of sour cherry cultivation.