Energy-Use Efficiency and Economic Analysis of Sugar Beet Production in China: A Case Study in Xinjiang Province

The objectives of this study were to investigate the energy input and output per hectare for sugar beet production in the northern Xinjiang Province, China, and to perform an economic analysis for farmers using drip-irrigation systems. Data were collected from 156 randomly selected sugar beet farms. The total energy input was 98,778.3 MJ ha(-1). Drip-irrigation systems accounted for 50.1 % of the total energy input, and chemical fertilizers accounted for 19.9 %. The total energy input for drip-irrigated sugar beet production could be classified as direct or indirect (27 and 73 %, respectively) and renewable or non-renewable (8 and 92 %, respectively). An econometric assessment revealed that human labor (-1.59) and drip-irrigation system energy (-1.57) had the greatest effects on sugar beet production. Direct, indirect, renewable, and non-renewable energy input had positive effects on output. The energy-use efficiency was 14.5, and the benefit-to-cost ratio was 2.1. Overall, drip-irrigated sugar beet production is energy efficient and economically profitable. However, the system could still be improved by reducing energy inputs related to fertilizer (especially nitrogen), pesticides, and diesel fuel.