Journal of Natural Environment

Study of Life Cycle Assessment in Corn Production Under Two Spring and Autumn Cultivars (Case Study of Khuzestan Province)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. student of irrigation and drainage, Faculty of Water Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Faculty of Water Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Iran

3 Professor of Irrigation and Drainage, Faculty of Water Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran

4 Assistant Professor of Irrigation and Drainage Department, Faculty of Water Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Iran

5 Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz

Abstract

Agriculture is one important sectors of the economic and impact on the environment. Assessing the environmental impacts of agricultural production is one of the effective ways to achieve sustainable agriculture and preserve natural resources. The present study evaluates environmental impacts of corn production in Khuzestan province as a strategic crop cultivated twice a year. Data were collected from the province's agricultural Jahad, library information and experimental data of farmers in the area. field experiments were carried out in order to determine the irrigation water and yield from March 96 to December 97. Environmental impacts of global warming potentials, acidification potential, Eutrophication potential, fossil fuel consumption, water consumption, phosphate consumption and of potash consumption were investigated. For one ton of corn grain as a functional unit, it was determined that drying Eutrophication and discharging of phosphate sources had the highest potential for damage to the environment, and each of them had a contribution of 18.73% and 34.08% in environmental costs of pollutant emissions. In the meantime, the share of water resources consumption in environmental damage impacts was 22.85%. Environmental index (EcoX) for spring and autumn cultivations was 0.92 and 0.70 respectively, and RDI for spring and autumn cultivars respectively was 1.75 and 1.29, respectively. So, in order to reduce the pollution of corn production in the region, it is necessary to manage the optimum use of chemical fertilizers, replace them with organic fertilizers and use of biological fertilizers, use of nitrogen supply sources with less pollution potential. It is also recommended to plant early varieties in spring crop with high potential and consistent with the region's hydrological conditions.

Keywords

Bahrami-Bavani, N., 2013. Analysis of energy consumption in sprinkler and surface irrigation systems in wheat production in north Ahwaz region. M.S thesis. Department of Mechanics of Agricultural Machinery and Mechanization. Shahid Chamran University Faculty of Agricultural. Ahwaz, Iran, 148 p. (in Persain)
Bazrgar, A.B., Soltani, A., Koochaki, A., Zeinali, E., Ghaemi, A., Hajarpoor, A., 2015. Simulation of nitrogen losses in sugar beet production in various production systems in Khorasan. Electronic Journal Soil Management Sustainable Production.
Bhat, M.G., English, B.C., Turhollow, A.F., Nyangito, H.O., 1994. Energy in Synthetic Fertilizers and Pesticides: Revisited. ORNL/Sub/90-99732/2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Oak Ridge, Tenn, Department of Energy, USA, 49 pp.
Birkved, M., & Hauschild, M.Z., 2006. Pest LCI- model for estimating field emissions of pesticides in agricultural LCA. Ecological Modelling 198, 433-51.
Brentrup, F., Küsters, J., Lammel, J., Kuhlmann, H., 2004a. Environmental impact assessment of agricultural production systems using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, I, Theoretical concept of a LCA method tailored to crop production. European Journal Agronomy 20, 247–264.
Brentrup, F., Küsters, J., Lammel, J., Kuhlmann, H., Barraclough, P., 2004b. Environmental impact assessment of agricultural production systems using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology II, the application to N fertilizer use in winter wheat production systems. European journal Agronomy 20, 265–279.
Buratti, C., Barbanera, M., Fantozzi, F., 2009. Environmental impact assessment of fiber sorghum (SUDAN-GRASS) production systems for biomass energy production in a central region of Italy. Biomass Research Centre, University of Perugia.
ESKOM, 2010. ESKOM Integrated Report. Available from http:// financialresults.co.za/2010/eskom_ar2010/downloads/eskom_ar2010.pdf.
Feyzbakhsh, M.T., 2016. Evaluation of silage corn production in terms of energy consumption and global warming potential in Gorgan city. Crop Production Research 8(3), 183-199. (in Persain) 
Gasol, C.M., Gabarrell, X., Anton, A., Rigola, M., Carrasco, J., Ciria, M. J., Rieradevall, J., 2007. Life cycle assessment of a Brassica carinata bioenergy cropping system in southern Europe. Biomass and Bioenergy 31, 543-555.
Ghamari, M., Andarzian, B., Bakhshandeh, A., Gharineh, M.H., Fathi, GH., 2011. Simulation of drought stress and nitrogen effects on yield, water use and nitrogen use efficiency of corn using simulation model CERES-Maize. Crop Physiology Journal 17(2): 21– 31. (in Persain) 
Green, M., 1987. Energy in pesticide manufacture, distribution and use. In: Helsel, Z.R. (Ed.), Energy in Plant Nutrition and Pest Control 7, Elsevier, Amsterdam, ISBN: 0-444-42753-8, 165–177.
Hauschild, M., & Wenzel, H., 1998. Environmental assessment of products, Scientific Background vol. 2. Chapman and Hall, London, 565 p.
Helsel, Z.R., 1992. Energy and alternatives for fertilizer and pesticide use. In Energy in World Agriculture 6, Fluck RC (ed). Elsevier: Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 177–201.
ISO, 2006. ISO 14040-Environmental Management Life Cycle Assessment-Principles and framework. ISO 14040-International Organization for Standardization, ISO, Geneva, 20 p.
Khojastehpour, M., Rad-Taheri, A.R., Nikkhah, A., 2015. Life Cycle Assessment of cotton production in Golestan province as based on the production of biomass energy as well as net income. Iranian Journal of Biosystems Engineering 46(2), 95-104. (in parsian)
Khorramdel, S., Rezvani-Moghaddam, P., Amin-Ghafori, A., 2014. Evaluation of environmental impacts for wheat Agroecosystems of Iran by using Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Cereal Research 4(1), 27-44. (In Persian)
Khorramdel, S., Shabahang, J., Ghafouri, A.A., 2017. Evaluation of Environmental Impacts for Rice Agroecosystems using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology 5(18), 1-14. (in persian)
Kramer, K.J., Moll, H.C., Nonhebel, S., 1999. Total greenhouse gas emissions related to the Dutch crop production system. Agricultural Ecosystem Environment 72, 9–16.
Mashoko, L., Mbohwa, C., Thomas, V.M., 2010. LCA of the South African sugar industry. Journal of Environmental Planning Management 53, 793–807.
Mirhaji, H., Khojastehpour, M., Abaspour-fard, M.H., Mahdavi, M., 2013. Environmental Impact Assessment of Sugar Beet Production (Beta vulgaris L.) by Life Cycle Assessment (Case Study: South Khorasan Province Farms). Journal of Agroecology. 4(2), 112-120. (in parsian)
Mohammadi-Barsari, A., Firoozi, S., Amin-Panah, H., 2015. Environmental effects of watermelon production in Guilan province by life cycle assessment method. Iranian Journal of Biosystems Engineering 47(1), 139-146. (in parsian)
Mousavi-Avval, S.H., Rafiee, SH., Sharifi, M., Hosseinpour, S., 2017. Use of LCA indicators to assess Iranian rapeseed production systems with different residue management practices. Ecological Indicators 80, 31-39.
Mudahar, M.S., & Hignett, T.P., 1987. Energy requirements, technology, and resources in the fertilizer sector. In Helsel ZR (ed). Energy in World Agriculture vol 2, Elsevier: New York, 25–61.
Nemecek, T., von Richthofen, J., Dubois, G., Casta, P., Charles, R., Pahl, H., 2008. Environmental impacts of introducing grain legumes into European crop rotations. European Journal Agronomy 28, 380–393.
Nikkhah, A., Khojastehpour, M., Emadi, B., Taheri-Rad, A., Khorramdel, S., 2015. Environmental Impacts of Peanut Production System using Life Cycle Assessment Methodology. Journal of Cleaner Production 92, 84-90.
Pishgar-Komleh, S.H., Keyhani, A., Rafiee, S., Sefeedpari, P., 2012. Analysis of Energy and Economic Indicators for Cultivation of Forage Corn in Three Districts of Tehran Province in Iran. Energy 36, 3341-3335.
Reno, M.L.G., Lora, E.E.S., Palacio, J.C.E., Venturini, O.J., Buchgeister, J., Almazan, O., 2011. A LCA (life cycle assessment) of the methanol production from sugarcane bagasse. Energy 36(6), 3716-3726.
Snyder, C.S., Bruulsema, T.W., Jensen, T.L. Fixen, P.E., 2009. Review of greenhouse gas emissions from crop production systems and fertilizer management effects. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 133(3–4), 247-266.
Soltani, A., Bazrgar, A., Koochaki, A., Zeinali, E., Ghaemi, A., Hajarpoor, A., 2015. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of sugar beet production in various production systems in Khorasan. Electronic Journal Plant Production 8(1), 43-62.
Soltani, A., Rajabi, M.H., Zeinali, E., Soltani, E., 2010. Evaluation of environmental impact of crop production using LCA: wheat in Gorgan. Electronic Journal Plant Production 3, 201-218. (in Persian)
Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D.J., May, M., Lewis, K.A., Jaggard, K., 2005. An assessment of the energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) production in the UK. Agricultural System 85, 101–119.
Van der laan, M., Jumman, A., Perret, S.R., 2015. Environmental benefits of improved water and nitrogen management in irrigation sugar cane: a combined crop modelling and life cycle assessment approach. Irrigation and drainage 64, 241-252.
Van der Werf, H.M.G., & Turunen, L., 2008. The environmental impacts of the production of hemp and flax textile yarn. Industrial Crops Product 27, 1–10.
Van Zeijts, H., Leneman, H., Sleeswijk, A.W., 1999. Fitting fertilization in LCA: allocation to crops in a cropping plan. Cleaner Production 7, 69-74.
Volad, M., 2009. Development and application of mathematical program for contribution analysis in Life Cycle Assessment. Thesis for Master of science in Energy and Environment, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Department of Energy and process Engineering.
Wang, M., Xia, X., Zhang, Q., Liu, J., 2010. Life cycle assessment of a rice production system in Taihu region, China. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 3(11): 157– 161
Journal of Natural Environment
Volume 72, Issue 4
December 2019
Pages 485-498