Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

This study investigated the energy input-output relationship in biomass production of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) grown in Sodic soils of Indo-Gangetic plains with agronomic manipulations of plant spacing (90 x 75 cm, 75 x 75 cm, 75 x 75 cm) and NPK fertilizers (0, 60:40:40, 80:60:60, 100:80:80 N:P₂O5:K₂O kg ha^-1). Results indicated that total input energy requirements in various treatments ranged from 16784.72 MJ ha^-1 in 90 x 75 cm spacing without NPK fertilizers to 24395.04 MJ ha^-1 in case of 75 x 60 cm spacing with NPK  at 100:80:80 kg ha^-1. Irrespective of agronomic manipulations, share of non-renewable energy in total input energy was very high (64.56%) and the percentage proportions of direct and indirect energies in the total input energy were 75.56 and 24.13%, respectively. Among various inputs, diesel accounted for the greatest proportion (40.44%) of total input energy, followed by water (32%), fertilizers (19.28%) and these three inputs constituted 92.08% of total input energy. Crop raised at 75 x 60 cm spacing with NPK at 100:80:80 kg ha^-1 resulted the highest output energy (80863 MJ ha^-1), net energy return (56529.91 MJ ha^-1) and energy use efficiency (3.22); however, the results obtained at 75 x 60 cm spacing with NPK at 100:80:80 kg ha^-1 were comparable. The best energy productivity (0.43) was achieved with 75 x 75 cm spacing and 100:80:80 kg NPK ha^-1.