Energy Analysis of Cotton Production on the Southern High Plains of Texas

The cotton producing region of the Southern High Plains of Texas is an input intensive agricultural region. The use of irrigation, fertilizer, and other inputs makes this region a large consumer of both direct and indirect energy. Increasing energy costs have affected farm profitability and are predicted to increase in the future. Energy consumption from fossil fuels either directly through fuel consumption in mechanical operations and irrigation application or indirectly through the production of fertilizer and chemicals varies greatly at the farm level based on irrigation systems, crop selection, and management decisions. The objective of this study was to evaluate energy use in irrigated cotton production systems on the Southern High Plains of Texas. Results indicate that in terms of energy use efficiency the subsurface drip irrigation system (SDI) was the most efficient. The low energy spray application pivot system (LESA) was the most efficient with regard to profitability per unit of water applied