Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 33, Latsia, Nicosia 2220, Cyprus.
Department of Agrobiotechnology, Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia 1516, Cyprus.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 29;20(3):2417. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032417.
Greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) produced by agriculture contribute to global warming and climate change. Various practices followed by farmers in different environmental conditions contribute to the increase in the phenomena, and there is a need for immediate measures. The current study examines the environmental impact of barley production under rain-fed conditions in Cyprus. For this, four different nutrient management scenarios were investigated in order to evaluate the environmental performance of crop production, namely: (1) Nitrogen (20%), Phosphorous (20%), Potassium (10%); (2) Nitrogen (20%), Phosphorous (20%), Potassium (10%) and manure; (3) Nitrogen (25%), Phosphorous (10%), Potassium (0%); and (4) Nitrogen (25%), Phosphorous (10%), Potassium (0%) and manure. Data were collected from two different areas of Cyprus (Nicosia and Larnaca) through on-site visits and questionnaires. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used as a method to quantify environmental impacts which were categorized into six impact categories: (i) acidification potential (AP), (ii) eutrophication potential (EP), (iii) global warming potential (GWP), (iv) ozone depletion potential (ODP), (v) photochemical, ozone creation potential (POCP), and (vi) terrestrial ecotoxicity (TAETP). LCA was used with system boundaries from field to harvest and a functional unit (FU) of one bale of hay. Research results showed that the addition of manure increased values in all impact categories. Comparing scenarios without manure (1 and 3) and with manure (2 and 4), the main process which contributed to GWP was field preparation, which resulted in 3 t CO-Eq∙FU and 46.96 t CO-Eq∙FU, respectively. Furthermore, the highest contribution of sub-processes to GWP (kg CO-Eq∙FU) was machinery maintenance (scenarios 2 and 4). The potential to reduce environmental impacts from barley and moreover, to mitigate the footprint of the agriculture sector in Cyprus is proposed by changing existing practices such as decreasing fuel consumption by agricultural machinery, and monitoring fertilizing and seeding. Conclusively, the carbon footprint of barley can be decreased through the improvement of nutrient management and cropping practices.
农业产生的温室气体排放（如二氧化碳、甲烷、氧化亚氮）导致了全球变暖与气候变化。不同环境条件下的农民所采取的各种做法加剧了这一现象，因此需要立即采取措施。本研究考察了塞浦路斯雨养条件下大麦生产的环境影响。为此，研究调查了四种不同的养分管理方案，以评估作物生产的环境表现，即：(1) 氮（20%）、磷（20%）、钾（10%）；(2) 氮（20%）、磷（20%）、钾（10%）和粪肥；(3) 氮（25%）、磷（10%）、钾（0%）；以及 (4) 氮（25%）、磷（10%）、钾（0%）和粪肥。数据通过现场访问和问卷调查从塞浦路斯的两个不同地区（尼科西亚和拉纳卡）收集。生命周期评估 (LCA) 被用作量化环境影响的方法，这些影响被分为六个影响类别：(i) 酸化潜力 (AP)，(ii) 富营养化潜力 (EP)，(iii) 全球变暖潜力 (GWP)，(iv) 臭氧消耗潜力 (ODP)，(v) 光化学臭氧生成潜力 (POCP)，和 (vi) 陆地生态毒性 (TAETP)。LCA 的系统边界从田间到收获，功能单位 (FU) 为一捆干草。研究结果表明，粪肥的添加增加了所有影响类别的数值。与没有粪肥的方案（1 和 3）相比，添加粪肥的方案（2 和 4），对 GWP 贡献最大的过程是田间准备，分别产生 3 t CO-Eq·FU 和 46.96 t CO-Eq·FU。此外，对 GWP（kg CO-Eq·FU）贡献最大的子过程是机械维护（方案 2 和 4）。通过改变现有的做法，如减少农业机械的燃料消耗，并监测施肥和播种，可以提出减少大麦的环境影响并减轻塞浦路斯农业部门足迹的建议。总之，通过改进养分管理和种植实践，可以减少大麦的碳足迹。
