Energy inputs in agricultural systems of China

An analysis of the energy inputs in corn, rice, sorghum, wheat, soybean, and millet in northeastern China indicates that most of the crops are produced with about one half the fossil energy inputs compared with those in the United States. The inputs of labor, however, are 10–100-fold greater than those in the United States. China also uses 85 to more than 500 h of horse power per hectare in producing its crop and this helps reduce the fossil energy inputs in crop production. A small increase in the use of machinery energy (3%) at appropriate times in the cropping systems could reduce labor inputs by about one third.