The impact of cultivation methods on environmental sustainability in paddy farming: A comparative analysis using life cycle assessment and cumulative exergy demand

Paddy cultivation has a significant impact on the environment, especially concerning water usage and greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) and cumulative exergy demand (CExD) analysis were carried out to compare the environmental effects of paddy cultivation under various scenarios. The ReCiPe۲۰۱۶ method was utilized to evaluate three different impact categories. Specifically, for the Hashemi variety, the resource impact category for conventional and mechanized methods was ۱۶۲.۸۲ and ۱۸۲.۲۵ USD۲۰۱۳, respectively. For the Khazar variety, the resource impact category for conventional and mechanized methods was ۱۱۲.۴۹ and ۱۲۶.۱۹ USD۲۰۱۳, respectively. The ecosystem category showed the lowest environmental emissions. It was found that electricity was the primary contributor, accounting for over ۴۰% of the environmental emissions across all damage categories. The CExD method identified seven types of energy, with non-renewable fossil energy showing significant values in both conventional and mechanized cultivation of the Hashemi variety (۲۱۶۶۶.۳۲ and ۲۴۵۳۷.۶۸ MJ ton–۱) as well as for the Khazar variety (۱۴۹۳۸.۵۳ and ۱۶۸۴۷.۰۶ MJ ton–۱). Mechanized cultivation of the Khazar variety exhibited a notable energy output of ۱۴۹۸.۶۸ MJ ton–۱ of renewable biomass energy. By conducting a thorough comparison using LCA and CExD, it becomes possible to pinpoint the most sustainable practices for paddy cultivation, considering the full scope of environmental impacts and resource consumption. This valuable information can guide decision-making and facilitate the development of more sustainable agricultural practices.

کلیدواژه ها:

Agricultural practices ، Cumulative exergy demand (CExD) ، Greenhouse gas emissions ، Life cycle assessment (LCA) ، ReCiPe۲۰۱۶ method