Crops

[Tero]

Disregarding climate issues, which one generates most energy per acre or hectare?
Corn, wheat, soy bean or rice?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Disregarding climate issues, which one generates most energy per acre or hectare?
Corn, wheat, soy bean or rice?

Per acre yield or net after production?

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

I find this thread interesting.

[Pappa]

Disregarding climate issues, which one generates most energy per acre or hectare?
Corn, wheat, soy bean or rice?

Probably soy because it fixes its own nitrogen.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Disregarding climate issues, which one generates most energy per acre or hectare?
Corn, wheat, soy bean or rice?

Probably soy because it fixes its own nitrogen.

Contributes to the soil as well, abetting the next crop.

[Tero]

Just the single year yield in whatever numbers. Never mind sun soil or climate.

[Jason]

Gotta agree with Pappa and 'Zilla on Soy.

If you're talking about a one-off crop harvest then I'd say corn.

[Rum]

Sadly it is however being grown at the expense of rain forest in many areas.

Link:http://replantingtherainforests.org/sit ... orest.html

[Jason]

From: http://www.iea-biogas.net/_download/ene ... ow_Res.pdf

Crop, Crop yield t . ha-1, Measured methane yield m3. t-1 VS, Calculated methane yield m3 . ha-1
maize (whole crop) 9–30 397–618 3,573–18,540
Wheat (grain) 3.6–11.75 384–426 1,382–5,005
oats (grain) 4.1–12.4 250–365 1,025–4,526
Rye (grain) 2.1 283–492 594–1,033
Barley (grain) 3.6–4.1 353–658 1,271–2,698
Triticale (grain) 3.3–11.9 337–555 1,112–6,604
sorghum 8–25 295–372 2,360–9,300
Grass 12–14 298–467 3,576–6,538
Red clover 5–19 300–350 1,500–6,650
Alfalfa 7.5–16.5 340–500 2,550–8,250
sudan grass 10–20 213–303 2,130–6,060
Reed Canary Grass 5–11 340–430 1,700–4,730
hemp 8–16 355–409 2,840–6,544
flax 5.5–12.5 212 1,166–2,650
Nettle 5.6–10 120–420 672–4,200
Ryegrass 7.4–15 390–410 2,886–6,150
miscanthus 8–25 179–218 1,432–5,450
sunflower 6–8 154–400 929–3,200
oilseed rape 2.5–7.8 240–340 600–2,652
Jerusalem artichoke 9–16 300–370 2,700–5,920
Peas 3.7–4.7 390 1,443–1,833
Rhubarb 2–4 320–490 640–1,960
Turnip 5–7.5 314 1,570–2,355
kale 6–45 240–334 1,440–15,030
Potatoes 10.7–50 276–400 2,953–20,000
sugar beet 3–16 236–381 708–6,096
fodder beet 8–34 401–500 3,208–17,000

Apparently corn has the best net energy/hectare too at 284,031 MJ (Table 8 on page 15) - potatoes are higher but apparently 'contaminate' the soil.

[Tero]

I guess I gotta scrap the turnip investment scheme, then.

[Svartalf]

Tatties beat neeps all the time

[mistermack]

Depends what you count as energy.
If you are just counting the edible part, you get a different result to if you count the entire calorific value of what grows.
Soya produces the most protein, I would have thought, but wouldn't score very highly on total calorific value.

A lot of Maize is produced for cattle feed. I don't know how much of it they actually eat.
But Maize would probably beat everything, for total calorific yield.

The question is though, over what period, and do you count what is put INTO the soil to achieve that crop? Maize might be ok for a year or two, and then dwindle to nothing, after it has exhausted the soil, whereas soya might keep producing year after year without stopping.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The great thing about the recent types of corn is that it stifles weeds after it reaches a certain height, shades them out. From then on there's no need for cultivation, just harvesting.