The Assessment of Energy Consumption and Carbon Emission from Maize Production Process in Northern Thailand

The objective of this research is to evaluate the factors of production. Energy consumption greenhouse gas emission from maize production process in the area of 12 provinces, northern part of northern Thailand. Moreover, the studies of guideline for reduction factor data were directly collected from farm owners with the total number of 1,205 fields or in the area of 13,884.7 Rai (1Rai = 1,600m²). The maize production of northern Thai's farmer was related with traditional way by following the preparation of planting area, cultivation, fertilizer and chemical used, harvesting and transportation of product to the maize mill plant. EC and GHGs were evaluated in terms of carbon footprints (CF). Energy potential (EP) from biomass and energy intensity (EI) were also analyzed based on the collected data. Moreover, the assess guidelines for reducing energy used in the maize farms and reducing energy used in the maize farms and reducing greenhouse gases emission were recommended. The survey result showed that production factors and EC reported in the average working time of 4.45 hours/person/Rai. The using od diesel and gasoline oil were 6.96 and 1.50 litter/Rai, respectively. The average weight of seed per Rai was equal to 3.98 kg. The using of fertilizer and chemical (herbicides and pesticides) per Rai were equal to 3.98 kg and 1.74 kg, respectively. Furthermore, the yield of corn product has resulted in an average of 924.07 kg/Rai. The conversion of production factor to value of EC was in the range of 1,917.97 to 2,705.62 MJ/Rai that represented in and average of 2,305.77 MJ/Rai. For EC of corn yield was equal to 2.50 MJ/Rai. The highest value of EC was significant in process of fertilizer and chemical used. The result of CF occurrence from the overall maize production was 134.83 kgCO2 eq/Rai or 0.1459 kgCO2 eq/kg. Total biomass was 974.24 kg/Rai that can be converted to the values of EP and EI equal to 16,703.73 MJ/Rai and 7.80, respectively. From this study can be guiled farmers for reducing EC and GHGs in several techniques such as the using of fit agricultural machinery, replacement of fertilizer by using organic substances fertilizer, is suggested to produce a fermented organic substances fertilizer by using maize biomass as a raw material and use for cultivation. These can reduce fertilizer by 45.54 kg/Rai, EC by 1,377.13 MJ/Rai and GHGs by 57.70 kgCO2 eq/Rai, respectively.