
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has developed three energy
tools designed to increase energy awareness in agriculture and to help farmers
and ranchers identify where they can reduce their energy costs. The results
generated by these tools are estimates based on NRCS models and are illustrative
of the magnitude of savings. Please contact your local NRCS office for
additional assistance.
Farmers and ranchers can cut input costs, maintain production,
protect soil and water resources, reduce the nations dependence on fossil fuels, and save money
by using conservation practices in their agricultural operations.
Crop Residue ManagementA producer can save at least 3.5 gallons of fuel per acre by going from
conventional tillage methods to no-till. At November 2005 diesel prices, this
amounts to $7.70 per acre in production cost savings. On a farm with 1,000 acres
of cropland, these savings add up to 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel per year valued at $7,700.
Energy Estimator for Tillage is the first of several tools from Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)developed to increase energy awareness in
agriculture. The tool estimates diesel fuel use and costs in the production of
key crops in your area and compares potential energy savings between
conventional tillage and alternative tillage systems.
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Nutrient Management
Appropriate substitution of manure for commercial fertilizer
can reduce crop production costs by as much as $85 per acre for a 1,000-acre farm. Nationwide,
doubling the application of manure-based nitrogen through a nutrient management
plan could save agriculture about $1.2 billion worth of natural gas each year
and save society up to 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas. It takes some
40,000 cubic feet of natural gas to produce a ton of commercial nitrogen
fertilizer. Producers who use nitrogen-fixing legumes as cover crops or in crop
rotations also can reduce their need for commercial fertilizer.
Energy Estimator for Nitrogen is the second of several
tools from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)developed to increase energy awareness in
agriculture. This NRCS energy consumption tool enables you to calculate the cost of nitrogen product use on your farm or ranch.
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Water ManagementAs more than 55 million acres of agricultural land are irrigated nationwide,
according to USDA's 2002 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey, proper irrigation
management can result in significant energy savings for producers individually
and collectively. For instance, a producer can move from a high-pressure
irrigation system to a low-pressure system and save up to $66 per acre based on
spring 2006 prices. Improving water efficiency by just 10 percent could reduce
diesel consumption by 27 million gallons and save farmers and ranchers $55
million annually.
The "Energy Estimator for Irrigation" evaluates opportunities to save on
energy costs and improve efficiency of irrigation management. It allows
producers to estimate the energy cost of pumping water for irrigation on their
farm. Producers can select their irrigation system and their power source.
Followed by well lift, pressure and price-per-unit of energy and select whether
they use a flow meter, irrigation scheduling or a maintenance program. They must
also select a crop from a list of commonly irrigated crops for their state,
their irrigated acres and their gross application of irrigation water.
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