Shirali Kohkan; Seyed Ahmad Ghanbari; Mohammad Reza Asgharipour; Barat Ali Fakheri
Abstract
This study was conducted using the emergy analysis approach in wheat production systems in order to plan and manage the major challenges facing the Sistan region's wheat production. All inputs for wheat production, the most important crop in the region, were assessed in this study. These inputs include ...
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This study was conducted using the emergy analysis approach in wheat production systems in order to plan and manage the major challenges facing the Sistan region's wheat production. All inputs for wheat production, the most important crop in the region, were assessed in this study. These inputs include renewable inputs, such as sunlight, wind, and rain; nonrenewable inputs, such as soil erosion; and purchased inputs and services, such as machinery, fossil fuels, electricity, labor, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and chemical fertilizers. According to the results of the study, the total emergy production of wheat was 1.061016 sej ha-1. The irrigation water consumed the most energy at 28.96%, followed by nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers at 20.75 and 16.5%, respectively. The emergy yield ratio index was 1.41, the emergy investment ratio index was 2.4, the environmental loading ratio was 2.41, and the emergy sustainability index was 0.585, which indicates the average sustainability and environmental load of this system relative to other researchers' reports. By increasing input efficiency by optimizing the consumption of irrigation water, nitrogen fertilizer, and phosphorus fertilizer, this production system can be made more sustainable and less taxing on the environment.
Zahra Marzban; Shahram Torabian; Elham Faryabi
Abstract
Non-renewable energy consumption in agriculture increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and global warming. The present study aimed to look at energy use, GHGs emissions and economic indicators in Azna, a city in Iran's Lorestan Province in 2019. For this purpose, data were collected applying questionnaires ...
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Non-renewable energy consumption in agriculture increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and global warming. The present study aimed to look at energy use, GHGs emissions and economic indicators in Azna, a city in Iran's Lorestan Province in 2019. For this purpose, data were collected applying questionnaires via face-to-face interviews. The TOPSIS method was used to find the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly crop. Investigated crops were irrigated and rain-fed wheat and barley, rapeseed, bean, potato, and sugar beet. The results revealed that sugar beet cultivation is not efficient in terms of energy consumption and global warming potential (GWP). The highest share of the total energy input was recorded for diesel fuel, N and P fertilizer with at least 80% for all crops. The maximum GHGs emission and GWP was observed in sugar beet and bean at 0.019 and 0.02, however, the lowest was recorded in rain-fed barely at 0.005. The highest relative proximity to the ideal and the shortest distance from the ideal were observed in rain-fed barley and wheat. In general, wheat and barley, especially when cultivated under rain-fed condition, had the highest cultivation priorities in the region, which can reduce environmental problems.
