Evaluation of the environmental effects of sugar beet  production systems at different levels of urea using life cycle assessment (case study : Razavi Khorasan)

Khorramdel, Soroor; Nassiri Mahallati, Mahdi; Mirzaeian, Atefeh

doi:10.22092/jsb.2024.365456.1358

	Evaluation of the environmental effects of sugar beet production systems at different levels of urea using life cycle assessment (case study : Razavi Khorasan)
چغندرقند
Article 6, Volume 39, Issue 2, February 2024, Pages 181-196 PDF (914.05 K)
Document Type: Scientific - Research
DOI: 10.22092/jsb.2024.365456.1358
Authors
Soroor Khorramdel^* ¹; Mahdi Nassiri Mahallati²; Atefeh Mirzaeian³
¹Department of Agrotechnology, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
²Professor, Department of Agrotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
³Ph.D. student of Plants Physiology, Department of Agrotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the environmental effects of sugar beet production systems in Razavi Khorasan province at different levels of nitrogen consumption (<200, 260-290, and >290 kg of urea per ha) using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) during 2017 to 2022. To determine the number of growers, Cochran formula was used and consumption inputs were collected using using a questionnaire (50 fields). Life Cycle Assessment was calculated and determined in four steps: definition of goals and field of action, life cycle inventory analysis, life cycle impact and integration, conclusion and interpretation of results. The impact groups included acidification, eutrophication of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and global warming. The functional unit was considered equal to one ton of root. In the final step, the ecological index (EcoX) was calculated. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. A second-degree polynomial function was used to evaluate yield response to urea levels. Results showed that with the increase of nitrogen consumption from less than 200 to 260-290 kg of urea per ha, the root yield increased by 34% , so that the highest root yield with 92.59 t per ha was observed at 290-260kg urea level. The highest global warming potential for fertilizer level less than 200 kg of urea per ha was calculated as equal to 46.199 kg of CO₂ equivalent to one ton of root. The highest amount of acidification, terrestrial eutrophication, aquatic eutrophication, and global warming groups for consumption of less than 200 kg of urea per ha was found to be equal to 59.0 kg SO₂ per ton of root, 99.0 kg N₂O equivalent per ton of root, 34.0 kg PO₄ equivalent per ton of root, and 46.199 kg CO₂ equivalent per ton of root, respectively. The main reason for N₂O and NH₃ emission was attributed to direct nitrogen fertilizer consumption. The highest normalization and eco-toxicity index belonged to the aquatic eutrophication impact category, calculated as 0.089 and 0.097 EcoX per ton of root, respectively
Keywords
Acidification; Environmental indicators; Eutrophication; Global warming

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Evaluation of the environmental effects of sugar beet production systems at different levels of urea using life cycle assessment (case study : Razavi Khorasan)