Life cycle assessment of major crops in the lenjanat watershed, Isfahan province

Dekamin, Majid; Ghaemmaghami, Seyed Morteza; Toranjian, Amin

doi:10.22034/aes.2025.528191.1105

Life cycle assessment of major crops in the lenjanat watershed, Isfahan province

Document Type : Original research article

Authors

Majid Dekamin ¹

Seyed Morteza Ghaemmaghami ²

Amin Toranjian ¹

¹ Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Malayer University, Malayer, Hamadan, Iran

² Department of Water and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Malayer University, Malayer, Hamadan, Iran

10.22034/aes.2025.528191.1105

Abstract

Agriculture is a cornerstone of societal production, playing a pivotal role in food security, economic development, and environmental sustainability. However, the escalating use of chemical inputs and fossil fuels in agricultural systems has raised significant concerns about their environmental sustainability. This study applies the life cycle assessment methodology—specifically the CML 2001 baseline method developed by Leiden University and in accordance with ISO 14044 standards—to evaluate the environmental impacts of four major crops: wheat, barley, alfalfa, and rice, cultivated in the Lenjanat watershed of Isfahan Province, Iran. The functional unit was defined as the production of one ton of each crop, with the system boundary encompassing all farm activities from land preparation to harvest. Data were collected for the agricultural year 2020–2021 and analyzed using SimaPro 9.2 software and the Ecoinvent database. The results indicated that rice had the highest global warming potential at 4137.85 kg CO₂-eq ton^-1, primarily due to its high water demand and diesel fuel consumption. Wheat exhibited the highest acidification potential at 28.11 kg SO₂-eq ton^-1 and the highest eutrophication potential at 11.79 kg PO₄³⁻-eq ton^-1, driven by excessive nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer use. Alfalfa, while showing the lowest global warming potential and eutrophication potential, had the highest photochemical oxidant formation potential at 0.392 kg C₂H₄-eq ton^-1 due to frequent harvesting operations. The study underscores the critical role of nitrogen fertilizers, diesel fuel, and phosphate fertilizers in environmental impacts. To mitigate these effects, adopting organic inputs, modern irrigation technologies, reduced tillage, and optimized fuel use are recommended. These strategies can significantly enhance agricultural sustainability in the Lenjanat region.

Highlights

The study assessed the environmental impacts of four crops using Life Cycle Assessment.
Rice had the highest global warming potential due to water use and diesel fuel.
Wheat showed the highest acidification and eutrophication potential from fertilizer use.
Alfalfa's frequent harvesting led to high photochemical oxidant formation.
The study suggests improving irrigation, fertilizer use, and machinery efficiency.

Keywords

Life Cycle Assessment

Crop Production

Environmental Impacts

Sustainable Agriculture

Lenjanat

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