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The research aimed to study the economics of alternative energy in irrigating wheat and dry broadbeans crops compared to using diesel in the Qatana region. The sample of about 240 farmers who grow irrigated wheat and dry broadbeans crops based on the comprehensive inventory method included about 12 villages in the administrative region (Qatana) in the Damascus countryside governorate.The research was carried out using descriptive statistical analysis and economic analysis, as well as applying a Likert scale to prioritize difficulties related to the use of solar energy. The research objectives were achieved based on an interview form prepared for this purpose that addressed a set of questions directed to a sample of farmers. The results of the analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences for the total costs, net profit achieved, and yields for the wheat and bean crops irrigated using solar energy and diesel at the level of significance Sig = 0.01 - with the exception of the net profit of beans, where the differences were at the level of significance Sig = 0.05. The use of solar energy led to a decrease in production costs by 6.7% and 3.6% compared to diesel irrigation for both irrigated wheat and dry broad beans crops, respectively. The net profit also increased by 4587 and 1768.9 thousand SP/ha when irrigating using solar energy compared to diesel irrigation. respectively; That is, an increase of 68.1% and 78.5%, respectively. The irrigated wheat and dry broad beans crops also achieved an economic efficiency of about 2.2 and 3.2, 1.46 and 1.85 when irrigating using solar energy compared to diesel irrigation for both irrigated wheat and dry broad beans crops. Respectively.The difficulties of high energy network prices and poor energy equipment specifications ranked first and second among the difficulties of securing solar energy network equipment facing farmers in the study sample, respectively. Also, the cost of one cubic meter of irrigation water amounted to about 117.1 and 38.3 SP/ha. For irrigated wheat, and about 63.9 and 48.7 SP/ha for dry broad beans irrigated using solar energy and diesel, respectively. This means a saving in the cost of one cube of 78.8 and 15.2 SP/ha when irrigating the two crops using solar energy compared to diesel, respectively. The difficulty of providing energy networks ranked last, and the research recommends encouraging farmers to use solar energy to irrigate the crops of the study sample, as it reduces their production costs compared to diesel, and that the authorities concerned with managing the agricultural sector must ensure energy networks in light of the current crisis conditions represented by the lack of fuel. And their prices rise.
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Keywords: solar energy, diesel, wheat, dry broad beans, irrigated, Qatana.
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