scholarly journals Carbon footprint of lentil in old Brahmaputra floodplain soil

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-167
Author(s):  
ME Haq ◽  
MA Kader ◽  
S Farhan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Floodplain Soil ◽  
Science Field

Crop production has contributed significantly to global carbon footprint (CF). Characterizing the carbon footprint of agricultural production offers key information for achieving low carbon agriculture. Bangladesh has struggled for long and worked hard for increasing food production capacity for its large growing population. It is necessary to choose the crops and management practices which have low CF to maintain a win-win situation between food production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the CF of Bangladesh’s crop production has not yet been assessed. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the CF of lentil as one of the major legumes cultivated in Bangladesh. The crop was cultivated at the Soil Science Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Farm, Mymensingh i.e. Agro-ecological zone (AEZ 9) during November, 2013 to April, 2014 by following standard management practices. The Carbon footprint was calculated by using the collected emission factors from literature as default values for each input and operation used for the production of crops as per guideline of ISO (2006) and IPCC (2006). The GHG emissions in the crop fields are taken from the studies of Pathak and Aggarwal (2012). The yield of lentil was 0.90 t ha-1 with a CF of 406 kg CO2-equivalentst-1 of lentil. Direct and indirect GHG emissions singly contributed the half of CF accounting 52.54% of total CF. The contribution of fertilizer, irrigation, machinery and labor inputs to the overall carbon footprint were 23.16%, 15.97%, 1.26% and 7.06%, respectively. Among the fertilizers, nitrogenous fertilizer was dominant and singly contributed to 70% of fertilizer CF. However, for developing best management practices for climate change mitigation in crop production of Bangladesh, further studies of soil and regional specific CFs of lentil are needed.Progressive Agriculture 27 (2): 162-167, 2016

scholarly journals Effect of straw retention on carbon footprint under different cropping sequences in Northeast China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiulai Song ◽  
Jie Zhu ◽  
Zhenping Gong ◽  
Yanjiang Feng ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Northeast China ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Straw Retention ◽  
Negative Environmental Impact

AbstractInappropriate farm management practices can lead to increased agricultural inputs and changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, impacting climate change. This study was initiated in 2012 to assess the potential for straw retention to mitigate the negative environmental impact of various cropping systems on the Songnen Plain using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method combined with field survey data. Straw retention (STR) and straw removal (STM) treatments were established in continuous corn (CC) and corn-soybean rotation (CS) systems in a split-plot experiment. The effects of straw retention on the carbon footprint (CF) of cropland under different cropping systems were compared. The CF under CC was 2434–2707 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1, 49–57% higher than that under CS. Nitrogen fertilizer produced the most CO2, accounting for 66–80% of the CF. The carbon balances of the CC and CS systems with STR were positive, with annual carbon sequestrations of 9633 and 2716 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1, respectively. The carbon balance (CB) of CC-STR was 255% higher than that of CS-STR. This study demonstrates that STR under CC cultivation is an environmentally friendly practice for agricultural production, can help achieve high-yield and low-carbon production in rainfed cropland, and can support the sustainable development of grain production in Northeast China.

scholarly journals Effect of straw retention on carbon footprint under different cropping sequences in Northeast China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiulai Song ◽  
Jie Zhu ◽  
Zhenping Gong ◽  
Yanjiang Feng ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Northeast China ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Annual Carbon ◽  
Straw Retention ◽  
Carbon Balances

Abstract Inappropriate farm management practices can lead to increased agricultural inputs and changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, impacting climate change. This study assessed the potential of straw retention to mitigate the negative environmental impact of different cropping systems on the Songnen Plain using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method combined with field survey data. Straw retention (STR) and straw removal (STM) treatments were established in continuous corn (CC) and corn-soybean rotation (CS) systems in a split-plot experiment. The effects of straw retention on the carbon footprint (CF) of cropland under different cropping systems were compared. The CF under CC was 2434.0–2706.9 kg CO 2 ha -1 yr -1 , 49.3%–57.3% higher than that under CS. Nitrogen fertilizer produced the most CO 2 , accounting for 66.2%-80.4% of the CF. The carbon balances of the CC and CS systems with STR were positive, with annual carbon sequestrations of 9632.5 and 2715.9 kg CO 2 ha -1 yr -1 , respectively. The carbon balances of the CC and CS systems with STM was negative, with annual carbon sequestrations of -3589.2 and -3006.2 kg CO 2 ha -1 yr -1 , respectively. This study demonstrates that STR under CC cultivation is an environmentally friendly practice for agricultural production, can help achieve high-yield and low-carbon production in rainfed cropland, and can support the sustainable development of grain production in Northeast China.

Field Measurements and Simulation of Nitrogen Fate under Citrus Production

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 498c-498
Author(s):  
A. Fares ◽  
A.K. Alva ◽  
S. Paramasivam
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Citrus Production

Water and nitrogen (N) are important inputs for most crop production. The main objectives of nitrogen best management practices (NBMP) are to improve N and water management to maximize the uptake efficiency and minimize the leaching losses. This require a complete understanding of fate of N and water mass balance within and below the root zone of the crop in question. The fate of nitrogen applied for citrus production in sandy soils (>95% sand) was simulated using a mathematical model LEACHM (Leaching Estimation And Chemistry Model). Nitrogen removal in harvested fruits and storage in the tree accounted the major portion of the applied N. Nitrogen volatilization mainly as ammonia and N leaching below the root zone were the next two major components of the N mass balance. A proper irrigation scheduling based on continuous monitoring of the soil water content in the rooting was used as a part of the NBMP. More than 50% of the total annual leached water below the root zone was predicted to occur in the the rainy season. Since this would contribute to nitrate leaching, it is recomended to avoid N application during the rainy season.

scholarly journals Prioritization of Sub-Watersheds to Sediment Yield and Evaluation of Best Management Practices in Highland Ethiopia, Finchaa Catchment

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 650
Author(s):  
Wakjira Takala Dibaba ◽  
Tamene Adugna Demissie ◽  
Konrad Miegel
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Soil And Water

Excessive soil loss and sediment yield in the highlands of Ethiopia are the primary factors that accelerate the decline of land productivity, water resources, operation and function of existing water infrastructure, as well as soil and water management practices. This study was conducted at Finchaa catchment in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia to estimate the rate of soil erosion and sediment loss and prioritize the most sensitive sub-watersheds using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated using the observed streamflow and sediment data. The average annual sediment yield (SY) in Finchaa catchment for the period 1990–2015 was 36.47 ton ha−1 yr−1 with the annual yield varying from negligible to about 107.2 ton ha−1 yr−1. Five sub-basins which account for about 24.83% of the area were predicted to suffer severely from soil erosion risks, with SY in excess of 50 ton ha−1 yr−1. Only 15.05% of the area within the tolerable rate of loss (below 11 ton ha−1yr−1) was considered as the least prioritized areas for maintenance of crop production. Despite the reasonable reduction of sediment yields by the management scenarios, the reduction by contour farming, slope terracing, zero free grazing and reforestation were still above the tolerable soil loss. Vegetative contour strips and soil bund were significant in reducing SY below the tolerable soil loss, which is equivalent to 63.9% and 64.8% reduction, respectively. In general, effective and sustainable soil erosion management requires not only prioritizations of the erosion hotspots but also prioritizations of the most effective management practices. We believe that the results provided new and updated insights that enable a proactive approach to preserve the soil and reduce land degradation risks that could allow resource regeneration.

scholarly journals Carbon Footprint Assessment of Spanish Dairy Cattle Farms: Effectiveness of Dietary and Farm Management Practices as a Mitigation Strategy

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2083
Author(s):  
Ridha Ibidhi ◽  
Sergio Calsamiglia
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
System Model ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Dietary Practices ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Increase Milk Production

Greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint (CF) were estimated in twelve Spanish dairy farms selected from three regions (Mediterranean, MED; Cantabric, CAN; and Central, CEN) using a partial life cycle assessment through the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM). The functional unit was 1 kg of energy corrected milk (ECM). Methane emissions accounted for the largest contribution to the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The average CF (kg CO2-eq/kg of ECM) was 0.84, being the highest in MED (0.98), intermediate in CEN (0.84), and the lowest in CAN (0.67). Two extreme farms were selected for further simulations: one with the highest non-enteric methane (MED1), and another with the highest enteric methane (CAN2). Changes in management scenarios (increase milk production, change manure collection systems, change manure-type storage method, change bedding type and installation of an anaerobic digester) in MED1 were evaluated with the IFSM model. Changes in feeding strategies (reduce the forage: concentrate ratio, improve forage quality, use of ionophores) in CAN2 were evaluated with the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System model. Results indicate that changes in management (up to 27.5% reduction) were more efficient than changes in dietary practices (up to 3.5% reduction) in reducing the carbon footprint.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Link between Low Carbon Reductions Strategies and Its Performance in the Context of Climate Change: A Carbon Footprint of a Wood-Frame Residential Building in Quebec, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Padilla-Rivera ◽  
Ben Amor ◽  
Pierre Blanchet
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Quebec City ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Change Mitigation

The design and study of low carbon buildings is a major concern in a modern economy due to high carbon emissions produced by buildings and its effects on climate change. Studies have investigated (CFP) Carbon Footprint of buildings, but there remains a need for a strong analysis that measure and quantify the overall degree of GHG emissions reductions and its relationship with the effect on climate change mitigation. This study evaluates the potential of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector by evaluating the (CFP) of four hotpots approaches defined in line with commonly carbon reduction strategies, also known as mitigation strategies. CFP framework is applied to compare the (CC) climate change impact of mitigation strategies. A multi-story timber residential construction in Quebec City (Canada) was chosen as a baseline scenario. This building has been designed with the idea of being a reference of sustainable development application in the building sector. In this scenario, the production of materials and construction (assembly, waste management and transportation) were evaluated. A CFP that covers eight actions divided in four low carbon strategies, including: low carbon materials, material minimization, reuse and recycle materials and adoption of local sources and use of biofuels were evaluated. The results of this study shows that the used of prefabricated technique in buildings is an alternative to reduce the CFP of buildings in the context of Quebec. The CC decreases per m2 floor area in baseline scenario is up to 25% than current buildings. If the benefits of low carbon strategies are included, the timber structures can generate 38% lower CC than the original baseline scenario. The investigation recommends that CO2eq emissions reduction in the design and implementation of residential constructions as climate change mitigation is perfectly feasible by following different working strategies. It is concluded that if the four strategies were implemented in current buildings they would have environmental benefits by reducing its CFP. The reuse wood wastes into production of particleboard has the greatest environmental benefit due to temporary carbon storage.

Climate change risks to push large parts of global food production and population centres to unprecedented conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Kummu ◽  
Matias Heino ◽  
Maija Taka ◽  
Olli Varis ◽  
Daniel Viviroli
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Rcp 8.5 ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Global Food

<p>The majority of global food production, as we know it, is based on agricultural practices developed within stable Holocene climate conditions. Climate change is altering the key conditions for human societies, such as precipitation, temperature and aridity. Their combined impact on altering the conditions in areas where people live and grow food has not yet, however, been systematically quantified on a global scale. Here, we estimate the impacts of two climate change scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 8.5) on major population centres and food crop production areas at 5 arc-min scale (~10 km at equator) using Holdridge Life Zones (HLZs), a concept that incorporates all the aforementioned climatic characteristics. We found that if rapid growth of GHG emissions is not halted (RCP 8.5), in year 2070, one fifth of the major food production areas and one fourth of the global population centres would experience climate conditions beyond the ones where food is currently produced, and people are living. Our results thus reinforce the importance of following the RCP 2.6 path, as then only a small fraction of food production (5%) and population centres (6%) would face such unprecedented conditions. Several areas experiencing these unprecedented conditions also have low resilience, such as those within Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, and Guinea-Bissau. In these countries over 75% of food production and population would experience unprecedented climatic conditions under RCP 8.5. These and many other hotspot areas require the most urgent attention to secure sustainable development and equity.</p>

Carbon footprint of crop production in China: an analysis of National Statistics data

2014 ◽  
Vol 153 (3) ◽  
pp. 422-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. CHENG ◽  
M. YAN ◽  
D. NAYAK ◽  
G. X. PAN ◽  
P. SMITH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Paddy Rice ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Carbon Equivalent ◽  
Ghg Mitigation ◽  
Application Rates

SUMMARYAssessing carbon footprint (CF) of crop production in a whole crop life-cycle could provide insights into the contribution of crop production to climate change and help to identify possible greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation options. In the current study, data for the major crops of China were collected from the national statistical archive on cultivation area, yield, application rates of fertilizer, pesticide, diesel, plastic film, irrigated water, etc. The CF of direct and indirect carbon emissions associated with or caused by these agricultural inputs was quantified with published emission factors. In general, paddy rice, wheat, maize and soybean of China had mean CFs of 2472, 794, 781 and 222 kg carbon equivalent (CE)/ha, and 0·37, 0·14, 0·12 and 0·10 kg CE/kg product, respectively. For dry crops (i.e. those grown without flooding the fields: wheat, maize and soybean), 0·78 of the total CFs was contributed by nitrogen (N) fertilizer use, including both direct soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission and indirect emissions from N fertilizer manufacture. Meanwhile, direct methane (CH4) emissions contributed 0·69 on average to the total CFs of flooded paddy rice. Moreover, the difference in N fertilizer application rates explained 0·86–0·93 of the provincial variations of dry crop CFs while that in CH4 emissions could explain 0·85 of the provincial variation of paddy rice CFs. When a 30% reduction in N fertilization was considered, a potential reduction in GHGs of 60 megatonne (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalent from production of these crops was projected. The current work highlights opportunities to gain GHG emission reduction in production of crops associated with good management practices in China.

scholarly journals Modeling Container-grown Euphorbia pulcherrima Production System Components: Impacts on Carbon Footprint and Variable Costs Using a Life Cycle Assessment

HortScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewayne L. Ingram ◽  
Charles R. Hall ◽  
Joshua Knight
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Production System ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Model System ◽  
Euphorbia Pulcherrima

A model production system for a 15.2-cm poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) in the north Atlantic region of the United States was developed through grower interviews and best management practices and analyzed using a life cycle assessment (LCA). The model system involved direct sticking of unrooted cuttings. The propagation phase was 4 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of irrigation using a boom system and 4 weeks of flood-floor irrigation. The carbon footprint, or global warming potential (GWP), for the plant was calculated as 0.474 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO2e), with a variable cost of $1.030. Major contributors to the GWP were the substrate and filling pots, fertilization, the container, irrigation, and overhead electricity. The major contributors to variable costs were the unrooted cuttings and labor to prepare and stick ($0.471). Furthermore, the substrate and filling containers and irrigation were notable contributors. Material inputs accounted for 0.304 kg CO2e, whereas equipment use was estimated to be 0.163 kg CO2e, which comprised 64.2% and 35.8% of total GWP, respectively. Material inputs accounted for $0.665 (64.6%) of variable costs, whereas labor accounted for 19.6% of variable costs for this model. Water use per plant was 77.2 L with boom irrigation for the 9 weeks during production spacing (32.8 plant/m2) and represented 64% of the total water use. LCA was an effective tool for analyzing the components of a model system of greenhouse-grown, flowering, potted plants. Information gained from this study can be used by growers considering system alterations to improve efficiency.

scholarly journals Carbon and water footprint of coffee consumed in Finland—life cycle assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1976-1990
Author(s):  
Kirsi Usva ◽  
Taija Sinkko ◽  
Frans Silvenius ◽  
Inkeri Riipi ◽  
Hannele Heusala
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Coffee Cultivation ◽  
Irrigation Optimization

Abstract Purpose Coffee is one of the most widely grown cash crops globally, but there are few scientific articles on its carbon footprint and water scarcity impacts. The aim of this study was to assess the carbon footprint and water scarcity impacts throughout the life cycle of the coffee chain (cradle-to-grave) and to identify the most important sources of the impacts (hotspots). Methods The system included all the key stages of the supply chain from land use change and coffee cultivation to roasting and household consumption. Primary data was collected from eight coffee cultivation farms in Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Honduras and coffee roastery and packaging manufacturers in Finland. The AWARE method was applied in a water scarcity impact assessment. Results and discussion The carbon footprint varied from 0.27 to 0.70 kg CO2 eq/l coffee. The share of the coffee cultivation stage varied from 32 to 78% and the consumption stage from 19 to 49%. The use of fertilizers was the most important process contributing to the carbon footprint. Furthermore, deforestation-related emissions notably increased the carbon footprint of coffee from Nicaragua. Compared with the previous literature, our results indicate a relatively larger share of climate impacts in the cultivation stage and less during consumption. The water scarcity impact was relatively low for non-irrigated systems in Central America, 0.02 m3 eq/l coffee. On Brazilian farms, irrigation is a major contributor to the water scarcity impact, varying from 0.15 to 0.27 m3 eq/l coffee. Conclusions Improving the management practices in cultivation and fertilization is key for lower GHG emissions. Irrigation optimization is the most important mitigation strategy to reduce water scarcity impact. However, actions to reduce these two impacts should be executed side by side to avoid shifting burdens between the two.

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