scholarly journals Carbon Footprint and Life-Cycle Costs of Maize Production in Conventional and Non-Inversion Tillage Systems

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1877
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Holka ◽  
Jerzy Bieńkowski
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Life Cycle Costs ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Maize Production

Given the problem of climate change and the requirements laid down by the European Union in the field of gradual decarbonization of production, it is necessary to implement solutions of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into agricultural practice. This research paper aimed to evaluate the carbon footprint and life-cycle costs of grain maize production in various tillage systems. The material for the analyses was data from 2015–2017 collected on 15 farms located in the Wielkopolska region (Poland) and growing maize for grain in three tillage systems: conventional, reduced, and no-tillage. The life-cycle assessment and life-cycle costing methodologies were applied to assess the GHG emissions and costs associated with the grain maize production in the stages from “cradle-to-farm gate”, i.e., from obtaining raw materials and producing means for agricultural production, through the processes of maize cultivation to grain harvesting. The calculated values of the carbon footprint indicator for maize production in conventional, reduced, and no-tillage systems were 2347.4, 2353.4, and 1868.7 CO2 eq. ha−1, respectively. The largest source of GHG emissions was the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Non-inversion tillage with cover crops and leaving a large amount of crop residues in the field increased the sequestration of organic carbon and contributed to a significant reduction of the carbon footprint in maize production. The conventional tillage system demonstrated the highest overall life-cycle costs per hectare.

Chemical composition of cover crops and soil organic matter pools in no‐tillage systems in the Cerrado

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arminda Moreira de Carvalho ◽  
Luana Ramos Passos Ribeiro ◽  
Robélio Leandro Marchão ◽  
Alexsandra Duarte de Oliveira ◽  
Karina Pulrolnik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Systems

scholarly journals Forms of phosphorus in an oxisol under different soil tillage systems and cover plants in rotation with maize

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 972-979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arminda Moreira de Carvalho ◽  
Mercedes Maria da Cunha Bustamante ◽  
Zayra Azeredo do Prado Almondes ◽  
Cícero Célio de Figueiredo
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Organic P ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Spontaneous Vegetation ◽  
Labile P

Phosphorus fractions play a key role in sustaining the productivity of acid-savanna Oxisols and are influenced by tillage practices. The aim of this study was to quantify different P forms in an Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo) from the central savanna region of Brazil under management systems with cover crops in maize rotation. Three cover crops (Canavalia brasiliensis, Cajanus cajan (L.), and Raphanus sativus L.) were investigated in maize rotation systems. These cover crops were compared to spontaneous vegetation. The inorganic forms NaHCO3-iP and NaOH-iP represented more than half of the total P in the samples collected at the depth of 5-10 cm during the rainy season when the maize was grown. The concentration of inorganic P of greater availability (NaHCO3-iP and NaOH-iP) was higher in the soil under no-tillage at the depth of 5-10 cm during the rainy season. Concentrations of organic P were higher during the dry season, when the cover crops were grown. At the dry season, organic P constituted 70 % of the labile P in the soil planted to C. cajan under no-tillage. The cover crops were able to maintain larger fractions of P available to the maize, resulting in reduced P losses to the unavailable pools, mainly in no-tillage systems.

scholarly journals Crop rotation, green manure and nitrogen fertilizers in upland rice under no-tillage

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orivaldo Arf ◽  
José Roberto Portugal ◽  
Salatiér Buzetti ◽  
Ricardo Antônio Ferreira Rodrigues ◽  
Marco Eustáquio de Sá
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Upland Rice ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Sprinkler Irrigation ◽  
Pigeon Pea ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Brazilian Savannah ◽  
Corn Crop

ABSTRACT The Brazilian Savannah region presents a great potential for the expansion of upland rice crops. However, studies are necessary to identify practices that can improve the crop performance, especially in no-tillage systems. This study aimed to assess the effect of cover crops in association with corn on the development and yield of rice cultivated in rotation and cover fertilized with nitrogen doses. The sprinkler irrigation system was used and the experiment was developed in the 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 harvest years, using a randomized block design, in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme. The treatments consisted of the crop remains combinations of single corn crop, corn + Crotalaria spectabilis, corn + pigeon pea, corn + jack bean and corn + Urochloa ruziziensis, as well as cover nitrogen doses (0 kg ha-1, 40 kg ha-1, 80 kg ha-1 and 120 kg ha-1) in the rice. The cultivation of upland rice in rotation with corn + pigeon pea was favored by the greater soil cover and nitrogen supply via cycling, if compared to the rotation with single corn crop. The intercropped corn + pigeon pea cultivation in the previous summer resulted in a 15 % increase in the yield of rice grains seeded in the rotation, when compared to the single corn crop. The cover nitrogen application positively influenced the grain yield with the maximum estimated doses of 46 kg ha-1 and 105 kg ha-1 of nitrogen, respectively in the 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 harvest years.

scholarly journals Carbon Footprint and Related Production Costs of System Components of a Field-Grown Cercis canadensis L. ‘Forest Pansy’ Using Life Cycle Assessment

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewayne L. Ingram ◽  
Charles R. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Production System ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
System Component ◽  
Cercis Canadensis

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was utilized to analyze the global warming potential (GWP), or carbon footprint, and associated costs of the production components of a field-grown, spade-dug, 5 cm (2 in) caliper Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ in the Lower Midwest, U.S. A model production system was determined from interviews of nursery managers in the region. Input materials, equipment use and labor were inventoried for each production system component using international standards of LCA. The seed-to-landscape GWP, expressed in kilograms of carbon dioxide emission equivalent (CO2e), was determined to be 13.707. Equipment use constituted the majority (63%) of net CO2-e emissions during production, transport to the customer, and transplanting in the landscape. The model was queried to determine the possible impact of production system modifications on carbon footprint and costs to aid managers in examining their production system. Carbon sequestration of a redbud growing in the landscape over its 40 year life, weighted proportionally for a 100 year assessment period, was calculated to be −165 kg CO2e. The take-down and disposal activities following its useful life would result in the emission of 88.44 kg CO2e. The life-cycle GWP of the described redbud tree, including GHG emissions during production, transport, transplanting, take down and disposal would be −63 kg CO2e. Total variable costs associated with the labor, materials, and equipment use incurred in the model system were $0.069, $2.88, and $34.81 for the seedling, liner, and field production stages, respectively. An additional $18.83 was needed for transport to the landscape and planting in the landscape and after the 40 year productive life of the tree in the landscape, another $60.86 was needed for take-down and disposal activities.

scholarly journals Development of GHG Emissions Curves for Bio-Concretes Specification: Case Study for Bamboo, Rice Husk, and Wood Shavings Considering the Context of Different Countries

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Rosse Caldas ◽  
Carolina Goulart Bezerra ◽  
Francesco Pittau ◽  
Arthur Araujo ◽  
Mariana Franco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Portland Cement ◽  
Rice Husk ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Rotation Period ◽  
Cementitious Materials ◽  
Supplementary Cementitious Materials ◽  
Wood Shavings ◽  
Biogenic Carbon

Bio-concretes are receiving special attention in recent research as an alternative for climate change mitigation due to their low carbon footprints. Different bio-based materials can be used, e.g., wood shavings, bamboo, rice husk, and coconut. However, various methodological parameters can influence the carbon footprint of bio-based materials, especially bio-concretes, like biogenic carbon, amount of carbon in dry matter, rotation period of bio-aggregates, and type of cementitious materials. It is important to have easier ways of estimating the carbon footprint of bio-concretes, using parameters and data easily available. This research aims to evaluate the (1) carbon footprint of different mixtures of three bio-concretes (wood bio-concrete - WBC, bamboo bio-concrete - BBC and rice husk bio-concrete - RBC), and the (2) development of GHG emissions curves for bio-concretes specification based on easily available data (such as density, biomass content, and compressive strength). Based on experimental data, the carbon footprint was performed using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. In order to extend the findings of this study, the context of the following four countries was evaluated: Brazil, South Africa, India, and China. In addition, the replacement of Portland cement for Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) are evaluated hypothetically. The results show that the increase of biomass content in bio-concretes and the replacement of Portland cement by SCMs leads to a radical decrease in life cycle GHG emissions. The percentage of carbon in biomass is a critical factor for reducing the carbon footprint. The WBC was the biomass that performed better for this parameter. The presented GHG emissions curves can be a useful way to estimate the carbon footprint of bio-concretes and can be adapted to other kinds of bio-concretes and countries.

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.

Analysis of Calculation Methods for Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Road Sector

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoras Vorobjovas ◽  
Algirdas Motiejunas ◽  
Tomas Ratkevicius ◽  
Alvydas Zagorskis ◽  
Vaidotas Danila
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Evaluation Methods ◽  
The Road ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
The Impact

Climate change is one of the main nowadays problem in the world. The politics and strategies for climate change and tools for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and green technologies are created and implemented. Mainly it is focused on energy, transport and construction sectors, which are related and plays a significant role in the roads life cycle. Most of the carbon footprint emissions are generated by transport. The remaining emissions are generated during the road life cycle. Therefore, European and other countries use methods to calculate GHG emissions and evaluate the impact of road construction methods and technologies on the environment. Software tools for calculation GHG emissions are complicated, and it is not entirely clear what GHG emission amounts generate during different stages of road life cycle. Thus, the precision of the obtained results are often dependent on the sources and quantities of data, assumptions, and hypothesis. The use of more accurate and efficient calculation-evaluation methods could let to determine in which stages of road life cycle the largest carbon footprint emissions are generated, what advanced road construction methods and technologies could be used. Also, the road service life could be extended, the consumption of raw materials, repair, and maintenance costs could be reduced. Therefore the time-savings could be improved, and the impact on the environment could be reduced using these GHG calculation-evaluation methods.

scholarly journals Comparison of Product Carbon Footprint Protocols: Case Study on Medium-Density Fiberboard in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Wang ◽  
Weifeng Wang ◽  
Hongqiang Yang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Medium Density Fiberboard ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Life Cycle Stage ◽  
Medium Density ◽  
Biogenic Carbon ◽  
Pas 2050

Carbon footprint (CF) analysis is widely used to quantify the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a product during its life cycle. A number of protocols, such as Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050, GHG Protocol Product Standard (GHG Protocol), and ISO 14067 Carbon Footprint of Products (ISO 14067), have been developed for CF calculations. This study aims to compare the criteria and implications of the three protocols. The medium-density fiberboard (MDF) (functional unit: 1 m3) has been selected as a case study to illustrate this comparison. Different criteria, such as the life cycle stage included, cut-off criteria, biogenic carbon treatment, and other requirements, were discussed. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) for MDF was conducted. The CF values were −667.75, −658.42, and 816.92 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) with PAS 2050, GHG protocol, and ISO 14067, respectively. The main reasons for the different results obtained were the application of different cut-off criteria, exclusion rules, and the treatment of carbon storage. A cradle-to-grave assessment (end-of-life scenarios: landfill and incineration) was also performed to identify opportunities for improving MDF production. A sensitivity analysis to assess the implications of different end-of-life disposals was conducted, indicating that landfill may be preferable from a GHG standpoint. The comparison of these three protocols provides insights for adopting appropriate methods to calculate GHG emissions for the MDF industry. A key finding is that for both LCA practitioners and policy-makers, PAS 2050 is preferentially recommended to assess the CF of MDF.

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