Corn & The Environment

Corn & Fossil Fuel Usage

Fossil-fuel energy is used to produce corn, with the largest consumption involving nitrogen fertilizer production and grain drying. Analyses show that the energy output:input ratio with corn - i.e. amount of energy contained in harvested grain relative to the amount of fossil-fuel energy used for its production, including the production of inputs and equipment - is approximately 5.5:1 in Ontario (calculated using data pertinent to 1990 published in Cemcorp, 1992).

This ratio continues to improve. The ratio was calculated at about 4.95:1 in Ontario in 1974 (Stevenson and Stoskopf, 1974). It is expected that the ratio will increase to over 7:1 by 2000 as the trend to higher yields and lower tillage and pesticide usage continues (Cemcorp, 1992). Even greater energy efficiency ratios should be possible in the future through reductions in nitrogen fertilizer usage per tonne of corn produced, and improvements in grain-drying efficiency.

The present energy ratio for corn compares favourably with that of other crops (see, for example, Hamilton, 1977).