Environmental impacts of watermelon production in Guilan province through Life Cycle Assessment

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

Iran is among the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses in the world. Agricultural sector has a remarkable role in non-renewable energy consumption and then, the environmental impacts in this country. In this regard, the environmental impacts of watermelon production as the most important melons produced in Guilan province of Iran were investigated through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The primary data were gathered using the questioners and face to face interview with 58 watermelon producers in Kiashahr region of Guilan Province in 2014. The environmental impacts were classified into six impact categories including global warming, acidification, terrestrial eutrophication, depletion of fossil resources, depletion of phosphate and potash resources. Results revealed that the terrestrial eutrophication (0.185) followed by depletion of phosphate resources (0.116) had the highest negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, efficient use of chemical fertilizers, specially nitrogen fertilizer and replacing them with a variety of organic fertilizers and using the bio-fertilizers can reduce the negative environmental impacts of watermelon production in terms of terrestrial eutrophication and phosphorus fertilizers groups in Guilan Province, Iran.

Keywords

References

Bojacá, C. R., Wyckhuys, K. A. G. & Schrevens, E. (2014) "Life cycle assessment of Colombian greenhouse tomato production based on farmer-level survey data, Journal of Cleaner Production, 69, 26-33.
Brentrup, F., Kusters, J., Kuhlmann, H. & Lammel, J. (2004a). Environmental impacts assessment of agricultural production systems using the life cycle assessment methodology, I. Theorical concept of a LCA method tailored to crop production. European Journal of Agronomy, 20, 247-264.
Brentrup, F., Küsters, J., Lammel, J. & Kuhlmann, H. (2000). Methods to estimate on-field nitrogen emissions from crop production as an input to LCA studies in the agricultural sector. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 5(6), 349-357.
Brentrup, F., Kusters, J., Lammel, J., Barraclough, P. & Kuhlmann, H. (2004b). Environmental impacts 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 of Agronomy, 20, 265-279.
Charles, R., Jolliet, O., Gaillard, G. & Pellet, D. (2006). Environmental analysis of intensity level in wheat crop production using life cycle assessment. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 113, 216-225.
FAOSTAT (2012). Annual statistics of agricultural production of Iran (Islamic republic of) http://faostat.fao.org/site/site/339/default.aspx
Finkbeiner, M., Inaba, A., Tan, R. B. H., Christiansen, K. & Klüppel, H. J. (2006). The new international standards for life cycle assessment: ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 11, 80–85.
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.
Goebes, M. D., Strader, R. & Davidson, C. (2003). An ammonia emission inventory for fertilizer application in the United States. Atmospheric Environment, 37(18), 2539-2550.
Graham, P. H. & Vance, C. P. (2000). Nitrogen fixation in perspective: an overview of research and extension needs. Field Crops Research, 65,93-06.
Iriarte, A., Rieradevall, J., & Gabarrell, X. (2010). Life cycle assessment of sunflower and rapeseed as energy crops under Chilean conditions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18(4), 336-345.
JEAOG, Jihad e Agriculture Organization of Guilan Province (2015). Annual statistics of Agricultural production of  Guilan province, Iran. Office of Information and Technology, Winter 2015, pp. 32.  (In Farsi)
Khojastehpour, M,  Taheri-Rad, A., & Nikkhah, A. (2015b). Life cycle assessment of cotton production in Golestan province based on the production of biomass, energy and net income, Iranian Journal of Biosystems Engineering, 46, 2: 95-104.
Khojastehpour, M., Nikkhah, A. & Hashemabadi, D. (2015a). A Comparative study of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of canola production, International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development, 2015, 5(1), 51-58.
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 Farsi)
Khoshnevisan, B., Rafiee, S. & Mousazadeh, H. (2013). Environmental impact assessment of open field and greenhouse strawberry production. European Journal of Agronomy, 50, 29-37.
Khoshnevisan, B., Rafiee, S., Omid, M., Keyhani, A. & Movahedi, M. (2012). Evaluation of energy indices and environmental impacts of potato production with the life cycle approach: Case of Fereydounshahr city in Isfahan Province. Biosystem engineerin of Iran, 44(1), 57-66.
Meul, M., Nevens, F. Reheul D. & Hofman G. (2007): Energy use efficiency of specialized dairy, arable and pig farms in Flanders. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 119, 135-44.
Mirhaji, H., Khojastehpour, M. & Abaspour-fard, M. H. (2013). Environmental effects of wheat production in the Marvdasht region. Journal of Natural Environment, 66(2), 223-232. (In Farsi)
Mirkazemi, F. (2014). A review on the watermelon cultivation. Third millennium Agricultural development Company. Research and Development Section, pp, 9. (In Farsi)
MOE, Ministry Of Energy. (2012). Energy balance in Iran. From http://www.moe.gov.ir
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.
Ozkan, B., Akcaoz, H. & Fert, C. (2004). Energy input–output analysis in Turkish agriculture. Renewable Energy, 29, 39–51.
Romero-Gomez, M., Suarez-Rey, E. M., Anton, A., Castilla, N., & Soriano, T. (2012). Environmental impact of screenhouse and open-field cultivation using a life cycle analysis: the case study of green bean production. Journal of Cleaner Production 28, 63-69.
Saberi, M., Zolfagharan, A., AzariNasrabad, A. & Atarodi, B. (2006). Effect of Salinity on Yield and Yield Components of Watermelon Cultivars. Seed and Plant improvement Journal, 22(1),103-111. (In Farsi)
Snedecor, G. W. & Cochran, W. G. (1989). Statistical methods (8th ed). Iowa: Iowa State University Press.
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.
Soltanali, H., Emadi,  B., Rohani, A., Khojastehpour, M. & Nikkhah, A. (2015). Life Cycle Assessment Modeling of Milk Production in Iran. 2015. Information Processing in Agriculture, 5 (1), 51-58.
Soltani, A., Rajabi, M. H., Zeinali, E. & Soltani, E. (2010). Evaluation of environmental impact of crop production using LCA: wheat in Gorgan. Electronic Journal of Crop Production 3(3), 201-218. (In Farsi)
Wang, M, Wu, W., Liu, W. & Bao, Y. (2007). Life cycle assessment of the winter wheat-summer maize production system on the North China Plain. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 14, 400-407.
Iranian Journal of Biosystems Engineering
Volume 47, Issue 1
May 2016
Pages 139-146

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 24 October 2015
  • Revise Date: 08 January 2016
  • Accept Date: 16 January 2016

Share

How to cite

Statistics