ehsan khodarezaie; Korous Khoshbakht; Hadi Veisi; Mohammad Reza Nazari
Abstract
IntroductionEnergy use in agriculture has grown faster than other sectors of the global economy. In developing countries, most agricultural systems consume significant amounts of energy to increase production and food security. Energy consumption leads to the emission of greenhouse gases and environmental ...
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IntroductionEnergy use in agriculture has grown faster than other sectors of the global economy. In developing countries, most agricultural systems consume significant amounts of energy to increase production and food security. Energy consumption leads to the emission of greenhouse gases and environmental pollutions in the agriculture sector. Besides, the use of fossil fuels in the production process and transfer of inputs emits greenhouse gases, which in turn cause global warming and climate change. Analyzing and good understanding of energy flow and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in agricultural production systems can help to optimize crop management practices thereby reducing environmental problems. Iran's average energy consumption is three times higher than the world average.Groundwater is the main source of agricultural water in arid and semi-arid areas. Electricity used in irrigation pumps consumes a large of energy and emits GHGs. Qazvin plain is one of the most important agricultural plains in Iran, which along with the use of groundwater, has the largest irrigation canal network in the country. Differences in agricultural water supply sources can lead to differences in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as electricity and other inputs may be affected. Wheat, barley, alfalfa and maize silage are major crops in Qazvin plain. Alfalfa and maize silage need relatively a high irrigation water requirement. This paper evaluates the energy flow and Global Warming Potential (GWP) of alfalfa and maize silage farms with two different water supply sources (well and canal) in Qazvin plain.Materials and MethodsThe data were collected through face-to-face interviews with farmers in the year 2018. Energy indices were estimated based on the analysis of farm inputs and outputs. Global Warming Potential was calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method and SimaPro 8.2 software. GHGs were calculated using the conversion coefficients presented by the IPCC GWP 100 method. Results and DiscussionThe output energy values of maize silage and alfalfa were calculated as 232726, 191812 MJ ha-1 for well water irrigation system and 234167 and 248060 MJ ha-1 for the canal water irrigation, respectively. Results showed higher net energy values for alfalfa (172778 MJ ha-1) and maize silage (167618 MJ ha-1) in canal water irrigation system compared to well water irrigation (131300 MJ ha-1 and 60112 MJ ha-1 for corn silage and alfalfa, respectively) mainly because of the relatively lower input energy. The results showed that the highest and lowest values of input energy were related to alfalfa production with well water irrigation (131700 MJ ha-1) and maize silage with canal water irrigation (66548 MJ ha-1), respectively. Also, the energy use efficiency of maize silage (3.5) and alfalfa (3.3) were higher in canal water irrigation systems compared to well water irrigation systems (2.3 for maize silage and 1.46 for alfalfa). In the well water irrigation systems, GWP was calculated to be 7466.9 kg CO2-eq ha−1 and 7995.7 kg CO2-eq ha−1 for maize silage and alfalfa, respectively. These values were 5533.3 kg CO2-eq ha−1 and 4947.6 kg CO2-eq ha−1 for maize silage and alfalfa in the canal water irrigation systems, respectively. Electricity and direct emission showed the highest share of total energy consumption and GHG emission.ConclusionGenerally, our results showed that energy consumption and GWP were lower in the canal irrigation systems than well irrigation systems mainly as a result of electricity used for water pumping in well irrigation operations. It can be inferred from the present study that for efficient use of resources and decreasing environmental problems in the study area, practices such as optimal management of irrigation water, conservation tillage, and optimal management of chemical fertilizers can help to achieve these goals.
Akhtar Veisi; Hadi Veisi; Korous Khoshbakht; Reza Mirzaei Talarposhti; Reza Haghparast
Abstract
Introduction: Soil health as one of the main components to achieve sustainable agricultural systems is being adversely affected by agricultural operations such as tillage. Soil health can be quantified using the specific physical, chemical, and biological parameters of the soil via specific quantitative ...
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Introduction: Soil health as one of the main components to achieve sustainable agricultural systems is being adversely affected by agricultural operations such as tillage. Soil health can be quantified using the specific physical, chemical, and biological parameters of the soil via specific quantitative soil quality methods. As a result, studying soil quality and fertility in different land management systems is essential to establish appropriate crop operations to achieve optimal production and sustainable cropping systems. Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) is used as a powerful and reliable tool to assess the effect of different crop management on soil quality and health. This study aims to evaluate and quantify the effect of different tillage methods on soil quality using the SMAF algorithm.Material and methods: The present study was conducted as a field experiment based on a randomized complete block design during two cropping years in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, in four replications. Experimental treatments included tillage methods (no-tillage, reduced tillage, and no-tillage), and the areas were considered replication. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was planted in the first year, followed by winter chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in the second year of crop rotation in farmers' fields. Soil sampling from a soil depth of 0-30 cm was taken in two stages, before planting wheat at the beginning and after harvesting chickpeas in the second year. Important soil parameters were measured, including bulk density, phosphorus, potassium, acidity, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon, carbon, microbial biomass, and microbial biomass nitrogen.Results and discussion: The results showed that implementing the conservation tillage methods improved some of the important soil parameters and soil quality index, indicating the positive effect of minimum soil disturbance and crop residue maintenance on soil quality. Although the physical and chemical properties of soil at the end of the second year did not change significantly compared to pre-treatment conditions, soil biological properties such as microbial biomass carbon and soil organic matter were positively affected by tillage systems. The laboratory-measured data of soil properties were well reflected in the SMAF algorithm. The results showed that at the end of the experiment, the soil quality index in the conventional plowing system was lower compared to conservation tillage methods. No-tillage had the highest value of soil quality index (0.65) at the end of the experiment. As stated in the quantitative description of soil properties, the higher quality index in the no-tillage method is mainly due to the improvement of soil biological conditions. Soil degradation due to excessive plowing, lack of residue preservation, and improper use of chemical fertilizers not only reduces soil organic matter but also degrades the physical properties of soil.Conclusion: In general, the results showed that conservation tillage methods could improve soil quality and efficiency in dryland areas, and the SMAF algorithm can be a useful tool to assess and monitor the soil quality of various cropping systems in dryland areas. However, citing the data of this study requires long-term results, and in order to evaluate the efficiency of the soil ecosystem to provide ecosystem services, it is necessary to compare crop systems with more sustainable systems such as forests and pastures
Salah Mafakheri; Hadi Veisi; Korous Khoshbakht; Mohammad Reza Nazari
Abstract
Introduction: Today, agricultural resource management is a fundamental task for managers and planners due to the need to address the challenging issues between the supply and demand sectors. Accordingly, many researchers have emphasized that water, food, and energy in the world are experiencing significant ...
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Introduction: Today, agricultural resource management is a fundamental task for managers and planners due to the need to address the challenging issues between the supply and demand sectors. Accordingly, many researchers have emphasized that water, food, and energy in the world are experiencing significant stress and scarcity, and demand for these resources will increase significantly in the coming decades. The main purpose of this study is to provide a method for decision-makers in analyzing the link between water, energy, and food in the crop production system at the regional level and to perform a quantitative evaluation of it, which can be used to create a suitable and optimal cultivation pattern with pay attention to the available resources of the area.Material and methods: The present study was conducted to evaluate the water-food-energy relations of agricultural products in Dehgolan County. The required data were collected through face-to-face interviews with farmers and agricultural jihad statistics. The method of this paper was based on six indicators of water and energy consumption, mass productivity of water and energy, and economic productivity of water and energy. Based on these indicators, a water-food-energy index (WFENI) was calculated for each product. This method was applied to evaluate 7 main crops of wheat, potato, alfalfa, cucumber, barley, carrot, and rapeseed in water farms of Dehgolan County in the years 2019-2020.Results and discussion: The results of data analysis showed that alfalfa and potatoes had the highest water consumption (13131 cubic meters per hectare) and energy (85404 megajoules per hectare), respectively. Barley had the lowest water consumption (4197 cubic meters per hectare) and energy consumption (31394.4 megajoules per hectare). The use of chemical fertilizers had the largest share in the energy sector (except alfalfa). In the alfalfa crop, due to high mechanization operations, machinery had the largest share of energy consumption. Carrot was the most productive in water consumption (7.08 kg/m3) and energy (1.03 kg/mJ). Also, the lowest water and energy efficiency for canola (0.44 kg/m3) and energy (0.06 kg/MJ) were obtained. In the economic index of water and energy productivity, the highest values were obtained for cucumber (92959 Rials per cubic meter) and carrot (13202 Rials per megajoule), respectively. The lowest economic efficiency of water and energy was calculated 1549 Rials per cubic meter for carrots and 10688 Rials per megajoule for canola. This study showed that the WEFNI was calculated 0.86, 0.73, 0.51, 0.41, 4 / 0, 0.3, and 0.26 for carrot, cucumber, potato, wheat, barley, canola, and alfalfa crops , respectively, in Dehgolan city. Carrots received the highest WFENI score (best score) and alfalfa the lowest (worst score). Although potato, which is one of the water crops with a high level of cultivation in the region, had high water and energy consumption, due to its high physical productivity and economic productivity, it obtained the third score of the total index.Conclusion: In this study, agricultural products were compared based on indicators of water and energy consumption, physical productivity of water and energy, and economic productivity of water and energy. Based on these indicators, the water, food, and energy link index were calculated. The results can also be used as an effective tool to determine appropriate strategies for cultivation patterns, management of water and energy resources in the region, and a basis for planning and agricultural policies in the county.
Maryam Akbarpoor; Hadi Veisi; Abdolmajid Mahdavi Damghani; Mohammadreza Nazari
Abstract
Introduction: Localization of the food system has become in line with sustainable agriculture for many reasons including ecological advantages, economic benefits, and social considerations. Yet the question is that to what extent food can be locally produced. To answer this question, the concept of ...
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Introduction: Localization of the food system has become in line with sustainable agriculture for many reasons including ecological advantages, economic benefits, and social considerations. Yet the question is that to what extent food can be locally produced. To answer this question, the concept of foodshed can be considered. The concept provides a framework for analyzing local food production at any scale. The foodshed is a land that can supply all or parts of a given population's nutritional needs within a given geographical area. So far, no foodshed study has been conducted in Iran, so this study proposed a model to study foodsheds. By taking a sustainable food system into account, the current research examined the concept of foodshed, the status of food production and consumption in Tehran Province, and the capacity of this province to meet its nutritional needs. Material and methods: The model was used in Tehran Province using a unit named "plant equivalent" to calculate and compare the amount of food produced in the study area and the nutritional requirement of the province’s population. Production of each crop (based on the plant equivalent unit) in each region was calculated by multiplying the crop cultivation land area in the crop yield. The amount of need for each plant equivalent unit in each region was calculated by multiplying the population of that area in the weight of food that is needed of a person in a year. Then, using self-sufficiency formulas, we estimated how much of the population's needs are being supported by the existing production. To calculate self-sufficiency, a concept known as threshold production was used. Calculation of threshold production was done with Matlab using conditional programming and coding. Excel, Matlab, and GIS were used in this research. Results and discussion: One of the most important achievements of the present study was the foodshed assessment of Tehran Province considering its increasing population and providing food security in this province. In the present study, which was carried out on a provincial scale, self-sufficiency in providing the desired food basket for the population of Tehran Province was 22% and the highest and lowest self-sufficiency was estimated in Pishva and Tehran counties, respectively. Self-sufficiency percent in producing crops to provide the desired food basket in Tehran Province was higher in fodder corn (100%) (self-sufficient), vegetables (79%), fruits (56%), barley straw (53%), wheat straw (45%), barley grain (16%), wheat bran (8%), wheat grain (5%), forage crops except corn (4%), rapeseed meal (0/1%), rapeseed (0/06%), respectively. However, in legumes, rice hull, root, pulp, and molasses of sugar beet, corn, and soybean meal self-sufficiency percent was estimated zero percent, meaning non-self-sufficient or total dependence. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the percentage of foodshed self-sufficiency in providing the desired food basket for the population of Tehran Province was 22%. Although localization has benefits, it seems that considering the small area and the overcapacity population of Tehran Province and the environmental issues (water scarcity and soil erosion), the boundaries of Tehran Province foodshed should be broadened and the foodshed radius must be increased.
Hadi Veisi; Anahita Valiollahi; Abdol Majid Mahdavi Damghani; Surror Khoramdel
Abstract
Introduction: Since the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) has changed the chemical composition of the atmosphere, a wide global consensus has emerged on the anthropogenic accumulation of GHGs in the atmosphere. Women have a vital role in agriculture, but the gap in gender-based studies on the ...
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Introduction: Since the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) has changed the chemical composition of the atmosphere, a wide global consensus has emerged on the anthropogenic accumulation of GHGs in the atmosphere. Women have a vital role in agriculture, but the gap in gender-based studies on the significant effects of agriculture on carbon emissions through production has not yet been filled. Therefore, a detailed analysis of how the gender factor affects GHGs emission is essential. In this sense, the present study investigated the effect of farmers' gender on global warming potential (GWP) in rice production systems during 2014-2015 in Babol County in Mazandaran Province, Iran. To this end, GHG emissions from male- and female-head rice farms were compared using the carbon input (kg.C.equivalent.ha−1) and output (kg.C.equivalent.ha−1), sustainability indices, and carbon efficiency. Material and methods: The data was gathered from 120 rice farmers (60 males and 60 females) through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The methodology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was used to calculate the GHGs emission of each farm. Each GHG such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) has GWP, which is the warming influence relative to that of carbon dioxide. Emissions were measured in terms of a reference gas, CO2 and reported based on CO2 equivalent. The method was restricted to a farm boundary and extracted into spreadsheets, which compute the baseline CH4 and N2O emissions for each farm. The indices of sustainability were estimated by assessing the temporary changes in output/input or (output-input)/input ratios of C to determine the share of anthropogenic GHGs emission in the atmosphere to determine the intensity of energy flow, carbon savings, and GHG emissions from women-headed and men-headed rice farms. Results and discussion: The results demonstrated considerable differences between farms headed by women and headed by men in terms of GWP (2930.31 and 3291.35 kg.CO2.equivalent.ha-1 for female-headed and male-headed farms, respectively) since more agricultural inputs were employed in farms headed by men. The dominant share of GWP for farms headed by men and women from the highest to the lowest was due to fossil fuels, machinery, and N fertilizers. The indices of carbon efficiency and carbon sustainability were respectively 3.88 and 2.88 in farms headed by women, and 3.55 and 2.55 in farms headed by men. Conclusion: The largest proportion of GHGs emission was due to fossil fuels in both female-headed and male-headed farms. This was attributed to outdated diesel pumps, excessive machinery traffic in agroecosystems, incompatibility between the power and performance of the equipment with the requirements of female-headed farms, and the relatively low price of fossil fuels. In line with these results, it can be concluded that resource-use patterns for the establishment, production, harvesting, and transportation in the rice fields are compatible with landscapes and masculine norms. Females, like males, used machinery and tools that consumed large amounts of fossil fuels; however, female-headed farms were smaller and wasted more energy, which in turn increased the level of mitigation. The findings suggested that farms by women produced fewer GHGs because the carbon input was used in a more environment-friendly manner than in the male-headed farms. Finally, several “soft” policies, such as gender-sensitive capacity development programs, are proposed to address the share of farmers in the emission of GHGs from subsistence farming systems on a gender basis.
Masoud Ghazvini; Hadi veisi; Abdolmajid Mahdavi-Damghani; Korous Khoshbakht; Mohammad Ali Nejatian
Volume 14, Issue 2 , July 2016, , Pages 13-22
Abstract
As biodiversity declines, the ability of agro-ecosystems to produce ecosystem services such as food security deteriorates. Despite the important role of grape in the livelihood of communities that produce this crop and also its high potential for export, very few studies have been conducted on the status ...
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As biodiversity declines, the ability of agro-ecosystems to produce ecosystem services such as food security deteriorates. Despite the important role of grape in the livelihood of communities that produce this crop and also its high potential for export, very few studies have been conducted on the status of biodiversity in grape production ecosystems and its relationship with different indices of productivity and stability. The data presented here were collected during face-to-face interviews with 220 grape orchardists in 2011. Results showed negative significant correlations between the Shannon-wiener index with total productivity (- 0.175**), water productivity (- 0.19**), land productivity (- 0.173**) and labour productivity (- 0.202**) as well as correlations between species richness with land productivity (- 0.14*). These results indicate negative relationship between changes in biodiversity of grapevine varieties with vineyard’s productivity and imply the long-term sustainability of the vineyards in Takestan County. Regression analysis showed that the explanation coefficients (R2) were between 0.03-0.04. We tentatively conclude from this that a 1% change in BD corresponds to approximately a 0.03-0.04% change in the value of productivity. The results also showed that the varietal diversity of vineyards have no effect on vineyards’ yield stability.
Hadi Veisi; Ali Alipour; Fatemeh Darijani
Volume 13, Issue 4 , January 2016, , Pages 113-124
Abstract
This study was conducted in order to analyze the impacts of IPM/ FFS programs on various outcomes by a broad range of stakeholders - including farming communities, local and national governments, and researchers - who are supporting such programs in Iran. This study is unique in that it uses an impact ...
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This study was conducted in order to analyze the impacts of IPM/ FFS programs on various outcomes by a broad range of stakeholders - including farming communities, local and national governments, and researchers - who are supporting such programs in Iran. This study is unique in that it uses an impact evaluation with a sociological perspective to explore the trigger and accumulation function of the effects of IPM/FFS programs in conformity with the community capital and adaptive management approaches. A total of 86 IPM/FFS stockholders were sampled. The principal component analysis was used to identify the impact factors of IPM/FFS programs and explore several factors, including the enhancement of social welfare, the improvement of farm health and safety, technical and social (leadership) skills development, risk management and marketing, improvement of production quality as well as expansion of farmers’ experiential abilities, and the establishment of adaptive ecological management. According to the trigger and accumulation function of the effects of IPM/FFS programs, it was concluded that the IPM/FFS stimulated social learning and that it strengthened human and political capital by developing technical, social and leadership skills, which apparently prompted social and financial capital through expanding the range of local activities, relationships and policies related to improved agro-ecosystem management (natural capital). Finally, based on the trigger and accumulation function of the effects of IPM/FFS programs, in particular for providing longterm effects, an adaptive management approach was recommended to emphasis on developmental impacts through a participatory approach.
Hossein Sabahi; Mohamad Faizi; Hadi Viesi; Kamal Sadate Asilan
Volume 7, Issue 4 , July 2010
Abstract
Sikan River is one of the end branches flowing from Saymareh River. 57% of agricultural land in Dareshaher are located in the environs of this river. In view of the consumption of 1343 tons of chemical fertilizers per year, the effluents from this land can influence the quality of river water. With a ...
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Sikan River is one of the end branches flowing from Saymareh River. 57% of agricultural land in Dareshaher are located in the environs of this river. In view of the consumption of 1343 tons of chemical fertilizers per year, the effluents from this land can influence the quality of river water. With a view to providing basic management strategies, the seasonal variations in water quality were evaluated. In this way, the quality characteristics of river water which may be influenced by wastewater, was measured in four seasons throughout the year. The NH3ranged from 0.53 to 0.55 mg/lit in spring-summer and 0.19-0.26 mg/lit in autumn-winter which is higher than the drinking water guidelines value for spring-summer, namely <0.3. The nitrate content was within the permissible range for potable water, and varied from 3.7 to 7.3 mg/lit in autumn and summer, respectively. The levels of phosphate in the river varied between 0.007 and 0.032 mg PO4 as P/lit in winter and summer, respectively, which is the standard level for P in water system to prevent eutrophication-related problems, i.e. <0.035 mgP/lit. The sulfate concentration was higher than the recommendation standard of 250 mg/lit in autumn. DO and COD levels were completely acceptable. In sum, the related agricultural activities justify the relative increase of mentioned parameter in summer.
Fakhreddin Hashemi Shadegan; Korous Khoshbakht; Abdolmajid Mahdavi Damghani; Hadi Veisi; Houman Liaghati
Volume 6, Issue 4 , July 2009
Abstract
A study was conducted using a modified model to assess the level of threat and effective factors in villages with two ecologies, in Basht County, Gachsaran in Southwest Iran, including a protected area with a dominant mountainous topology and another with a plain-hilly situation. The results showed that ...
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A study was conducted using a modified model to assess the level of threat and effective factors in villages with two ecologies, in Basht County, Gachsaran in Southwest Iran, including a protected area with a dominant mountainous topology and another with a plain-hilly situation. The results showed that level of threat increased with the decreasing distance of villages from the urban region and mountain villages had a lower level of risk than plain-hilly areas. Trends of agrochemical application, weed management techniques and acreage of fields receiving agrochemicals had the highest frequency of flooding and incidental fires and the acreage of agricultural land in the area made the least contribution to the threat of agrobiodiversity erosion. The results of cluster analysis divided villages into two clusters in which all mountainous villages, along with two plain-hilly villages were placed in one cluster and the others were located in the second cluster. Estimating the role of divergence factors in the clusters revealed that five factors including the distance to the main urban centers, distance to industrial developmental projects, ratio of irrigated to rain-fed lands, extent of use of modern varieties and exploitation rate of habitat species had the highest effects on divergence of the biodiversity threat in the model. Results showed that human activities are the main factors in genetic erosion threats, whereas natural factors as well as traditional agricultural and social practices and the availability of agricultural territories in the area resulted in the least risk to biodiversity.
Abdolmajid Mahdavi Damghani; Korous Khotshbakh; Hadi Veisi
Volume 6, Issue 4 , July 2009
Hassan Sadough Vanini; Hadi Veisi; Ali Ashraf Alipour
Volume 6, Issue 1 , October 2008
Abstract
After Rio summit, Department of Environment (DOE) was identified as responsible for policy making and integrating of environmental concerns into the country’s social and economic development plans in Iran. It is clear that the performance of Department of Environment is dependent on the perceptions ...
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After Rio summit, Department of Environment (DOE) was identified as responsible for policy making and integrating of environmental concerns into the country’s social and economic development plans in Iran. It is clear that the performance of Department of Environment is dependent on the perceptions and knowledge of its staff and experts, since perception and attitude is learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object and creates action or behavior that is generally consistent. Regarding, this study, staff perceptions were assisted toward items in relate with the chapter headings of the UNCED document Agenda 21. The number of participants was 120, randomly drawn from the selected population. Factor analysis was utilized to reveal the latent attitudes behind the staff’s perceptions. The findings were indicated that there are 8 factors to measure the construct of sustainable development about 82.3 percent the variance. Results were indicated that the most important domain of sustainable development in environmental experts’viewpoints is natural resources protection and environmental management. Then, it was concluded that perceptions are more towards the environmental dimension than economic and social dimensions of sustainable development.
Hossein Mahmoudi; Hadi Veisi
Volume 2, Issue 8 , July 2005
