LCA evaluation of walnut production in different irrigation methods: A Case Study of Shahrekord and Saman Counties

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 . Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

3 Department of Irrigation and Reclamation Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Today, the increase in food demand has led to an increase in energy use, which has some environmental consequences such as air pollution and global warming. Irrigation is one of the energy-intensive operations in agriculture, which consumes great part of energy inputs and has harmful environmental effects. Applications of modern methods of irrigation in agriculture can be considered from different aspects. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the energy and environmental indicators of walnut orchards under surface and pressured irrigation methods. The required data, including information about inputs and energy consumed in walnut orchards, were collected using questionnaires and face-to-face interviews in Shahr-e Kord and Saman region of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. The collected data belonged to the production period of 2021–2022. The averages of total energy consumed for walnuts production in pressured and surface irrigation systems were 29573.53 and 25058.46 MJ ha−1, respectively. This shows that despite less water consumption in the pressured irrigation system, the total energy input in this irrigation system is more than the surface irrigation system. No significant difference was observed regarding the performance of walnut in the two mentioned irrigation systems. The inputs energy consumption in the walnut production with the pressurized irrigation system were highest for plastic and farmyard manure (about 32% and 15%, respectively); while in surface irrigation system, the share of nitrogen fertilizer and farmyard manure were highest (about 30% and 25%, respectively). Energy ratio of walnut production in surface irrigation systems was computed as 3.58, while the corresponding value in pressured system was 2.77. In other words, surface irrigation had better conditions in terms of energy indicators. The LCA results of walnut production showed that in the two irrigation systems, the greatest effects in human health and the ecosystems are from on-farm emissions. In general, the investigation of the environmental indicators of walnut production in the two irrigation systems showed that the use of the pressured irrigation system reduces the environmental damage.

Keywords

Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Introduction

Today, the increase in food demand has led to an increase in energy use, which has some environmental consequences such as air pollution and global warming. Irrigation is one of the energy-intensive operations in agriculture, which consumes great part of energy inputs and has harmful environmental effects. Energy and water as essential inputs of irrigation system are key and vital elements for social and economic development. Applications of modern methods of irrigation in agriculture can be considered from different aspects. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a structural and comprehensive approach to evaluate environmental impacts in various systems. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the energy and environmental indicators of walnut orchards under surface and pressured irrigation methods.

 

Materials and methods

The required data, including information about inputs and energy consumed in walnut orchards, were collected using questionnaires and face-to-face interviews in Shahr-e Kord and Saman region of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. The collected data belonged to the production period of 2021–2022. The inputs and outputs were calculated per hectare and environmental impacts of walnut production were analysed by life cycle assessment approach. According to inputs/outputs as well as their energy equivalents, energy indices including energy ratio (ER), net energy gain (NEG), and energy productivity (EP), were computed. Also, the water productivity index was calculated for walnut production in two investigated systems.

 

Results and Discussions

The averages of total energy consumed for walnuts production in pressured and surface irrigation systems were 29573.53 and 25058.46 MJ ha−1, respectively. This shows that despite less water consumption in the pressured irrigation system, the total energy input in this irrigation system is more than the surface irrigation system. No significant difference was observed regarding the performance of walnut in the two mentioned irrigation systems. The inputs energy consumption in the walnut production with the pressurized irrigation system were highest for plastic and farmyard manure (about 32% and 15%, respectively); while in surface irrigation system, the share of nitrogen fertilizer and farmyard manure were highest (about 30% and 25%, respectively). Energy ratio of walnut production in surface irrigation systems was computed as 3.58, while the corresponding value in pressured system was 2.77. In other words, surface irrigation had better conditions in terms of energy indicators; so that the energy ratio of surface irrigation system was about 29% higher than that of pressured irrigation system.

Endpoints results by using LCA method in surface and pressured irrigation systems for production of 1 t of walnut production were calculated. The results showed that in surface and pressured irrigation systems, human health damage categories generated are 0.1827 and 0.0808 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) per 1 t of walnut production, respectively. Also, in the two irrigation systems, the greatest effects in human health and the ecosystems are from on-farm emissions.

 

Conclusion

In general, the investigation of the environmental indicators of walnut production in the two irrigation systems showed that the use of the pressured irrigation system reduces the environmental damage. So, this method can be introduced as an environmentally friendly system.

 

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 54, Issue 3
June 2023
Pages 497-512

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