CAN ORGANIC FARMING HELP TO REDUCE NATIONAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASSES IN DENMARK? - Economics of Sustainable Energy in Agriculture - page 182

2.2 Simulation of fossil energy use
For each crop type the average, national fossil energy use is simulated with
Dalgaard et al. 's (2001) model (Table 13.3 and 13.4). This model can
simulate fossil energy use for the most common crops in Denmark for
different management practices, transport distances, soil types etc. The
model includes both direct and indirect (embedded) energy use and a set of
standard values for energy use in keeping livestock. In this chapter,
average national energy use for the crop types is calculated as weighted
averages for the crops grown on loamy soil, sandy soil, and irrigated sandy
soil. The distribution of Danish soils by area is 39% loamy soils, 10%
irrigated soils, and 51% non-irrigated sandy soils. Grass/clover is defined
as 50% grass/clover pasture and 50% grass/clover silage.
Cereals are defined as 50% winter cereals and 50% spring cereals,
including energy use for both grain and straw harvest. Row crops are
defined as fodder beets, and permanent grassland is defined as grass/clover
pasture on non-irrigated sandy soil. For comparison, the metabolisable
energy in the produced crops can be calculated using norms (Strudsholm et
al. 1997), and compared to the fossil energy use.
Given the energy use for crop production, the number of animals
produced, and the needed fodder import, the total national energy use can
be estimated (Dalgaard 2000). For the 1996-situation, the calculated energy