|
|
Evaluation of environmental impacts of selected crops growing by LCA method
NNANDO, Emeka Micheal
Abstract The consequences of agricultural intensification and conventional farming are becoming increasingly apparent as climate change and variability continue to worsen. This study evaluated the environmental impacts of soybean production, with a focus on the climate change impact category. Agricultural data for various inputs, agrotechnical operations, and outputs of the production process were systematically collected from three distinct soybean farms (Becicka, Michalec and Agrokiwi) in the Pardubice district of the Czech Republic and analyzed using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework. The functional unit considered in this study was 1 kg of soybeans. The results of the LCA show that the Agrokiwi and Michalec farms make the largest and smallest contributions to the climate change impact category with 6.17 kg CO2eq and 2.1 kg CO2eq respectively. The highest contribution, 51 percent, from Agrokiwi was attributed to the application of NPK fertilizer (15-15-15) and tillage plowing of the fields, with 0.0506 kg CO2eq and 0.0237 kg CO2eq respectively, while sowing and transport contributed the least, with 0.00979 kg CO2eq and 0.0091 kg CO2eq respectively. Findings also revealed a relationship between inputs, agrotechnical operations in soybean production, and their contribution to climate change.Regarding climate smartness or environmental sustainability, the Michalec agricultural practices/production system is more environmentally friendly due to the low use of mineral fertilizers and the spreading method. The results of the study suggest that the environmental performance of soybean production could be significantly improved by switching from synthetic fertilizers to more environmentally friendly organic farming, introducing crop rotations, and using disease-resistant seed varieties as a means of implementing sustainable agricultural practices/systems.
|
guest ::
