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.
Fatemeh Kazemiyeh; Asma Eidi
Abstract
Introduction: Organic farming is one of the sustainable agricultural strategies that relies on natural methods to control pests and diseases and has been prevented from using artificial pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics. Given the importance of food security and ...
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Introduction: Organic farming is one of the sustainable agricultural strategies that relies on natural methods to control pests and diseases and has been prevented from using artificial pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics. Given the importance of food security and the irreparable damage caused by overuse of chemicals in agriculture and human health, the main purpose of this study is to identify and explain the barriers to the development of organic farming. Due to its special geographical location and variety of agricultural products, West Azerbaijan Province has a high capacity in the production of organic products such as grapes, white berries, pomegranates and apples. Although the history of organic farming has long been common in West Azarbaijan Province, unfortunately, this type of agriculture is currently facing many obstacles and problems, so it is important to identify the factors that prevent the use of organic agriculture and should be addressed to solve these problems.Material and methods: The present study was quantitative-qualitative in terms of practical purpose and research paradigm. In the first stage, barriers to the development of organic agriculture were identified by Delphi method. A purposive sampling method was used to collect information. The statistical population of this stage was 25 university professors, experts, and specialists. In the second stage, the data obtained from the agreement of the experts were provided to the experts as a closed questionnaire. The statistical population of the study at this stage included 101 experts from the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Urmia, which due to the limited statistical population was used to collect information with the census method. In order to analyze the data, the exploratory factor analysis technique was used based on the method of analysis to the main components.Results and discussion: The value of KMO for the set of barriers to organic farming development was 0.79. Therefore, the number of samples was suitable for factor analysis. Bartlett's test score was 3072.307, which was significant at the 1% level. Therefore, it can be concluded that the separation of factors was done correctly and the variables of each factor had a high root correlation with each other. According to the research results, the most important barriers to the development of organic agriculture, respectively, included: barriers to information and agricultural knowledge (lack of sufficient knowledge in the production of organic products), motivational and attitude barriers (lack of interest and resistance of farmers in accepting cultivation of organic products), economic barriers (lack of financial support to withstand the damages of the past), technical-managerial and supportive barriers (unfamiliarity with the techniques and methods of cultivation of organic products and lack of a single and specific trustee for organic products), barriers to use (excessive consumption of chemical fertilizers), and extension barriers (farmers' limited participation in extension and educational programs.Conclusion: Agricultural planners should be guided by solutions in the field of facilitating the export of organic agricultural products, supporting farmers in organic farming, and carrying out extension activities to use the existing capacities in the country. Agricultural research must be done on the use of organic and biological fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. Special attention must be paid to organic agriculture in developing strategic plans for agricultural research and appropriate and separate pricing systems for organic products. Training and extension courses in organic farming for farmers and encouraging them to participate in these classes are also encouraged.
Afsaneh Yousefi; Reza Mirzaeitalarposhti; Fatemeh-Sadat Aghamir; Jafar Nabati
Abstract
Introduction: Economic problems caused by increased consumption of fertilizers from one hand and environmental issues related to non-scientific consumption of such fertilizers (e.g., pollution of water and soil, loss of soil fertility, and crop quality) on the other hand, have shifted attentions towards ...
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Introduction: Economic problems caused by increased consumption of fertilizers from one hand and environmental issues related to non-scientific consumption of such fertilizers (e.g., pollution of water and soil, loss of soil fertility, and crop quality) on the other hand, have shifted attentions towards application of biological fertilizers. In order to reduce environmental pollution and ecological damage caused by the use of chemical fertilizers, there is a need to use resources and inputs, which not only meet crop nutrient requirements, but also guarantee the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems. The purpose of this study was to reduce the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on the agroecosystem and to reduce the cost associated with crop production through application of biofertilizers (free-living nitrogen-fixating bacteria, and potassium and phosphate solubilizing bacteria) on mung bean. Material and methods: A field experiment was carried out as a randomized complete block design with factorial arrangement of treatments. Two mung bean genotypes (Dezfouli and Indian) were planted under six fertilization systems at the Agricultural Research Station of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran in 2017. Fertilization treatments were Nitro Bacteria (NB), Phosphate Power Bacteria (PhPB), Potassium Power Bacteria (PPB), NB+PhPB+PPB, chemical nitrogen fertilizer (N), and no fertilizer as control (C). Prior to planting, the soil was sampled at a depth of 0-30 cm for measurement of common physico-chemical characteristics. At the end of the growing season, an area of 1 m2 from the middle of each plot was harvested for crop traits. Plant height, the number of branches per plant, grain yield, biological yield, and yield components including the number of pods per plant, the number of seeds per pod, and 100-seed weight were measured accordingly. Results and discussion: The results showed a significant difference between mung bean genotypes and also fertilization treatments regarding yield and yield components (p < 0.05). The highest biological yield (6555 kg ha-1 ) and grain yield (1558 kg ha-1 ) were obtained from Dezfouli genotype under NPB+PhPB+PPB treatment. The lowest biomass and grain yield were observed for Indian genotype under control treatment with 3518 and 1393 kg ha-1 , respectively. The results showed that the combined application of nitrogen stabilizing bacteria and potassium and phosphate release bacteria, due to increased access to nutrients that is an effective factor in stimulating the growth and photosynthesis of plants, improved conditions for growth and production of photosynthetic materials, and also increased the yield of mung bean plants. Conclusion: It was revealed that the combined application of various biofertilizers not only improves the mung bean yield, but also can reduce negative aspects of chemical fertilizer application in crop production systems. Paying attention to more frequent use of biological fertilizers could be considered as an important agroecological approach, which results in healthier soil and water resources.
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; Hadi Hematyar; Hadi Azar Kerdar
Volume 5, Issue 2 , January 2008
Abstract
This study determines the relationship between students’ knowledge and their perceptions towards sustainable agriculture. 100 senior agricultural students from 10 different majors at the University of Tehran were selected by simple random method. A 10-point scale was used to measure students’ ...
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This study determines the relationship between students’ knowledge and their perceptions towards sustainable agriculture. 100 senior agricultural students from 10 different majors at the University of Tehran were selected by simple random method. A 10-point scale was used to measure students’ perceptions and knowledge towards sustainable agriculture. The validity was confirmed by a panel of experts and the scale was subjected to reliability testing using data collected in the pilot study. The Cronbach alpha coefficients were 0.62 and 0.86 for the scales of perception and knowledge, respectively. Students rated themselves as a group having limited knowledge of sustainable agriculture policy but high for their attitudes, especially for environment and livelihood (security food). The findings revealed that attitude dimension of environment and food security, and the knowledge dimension of practice and sustainable agricultural systems had specifically a greater role in determining relationship between students’ attitudes and their knowledge towards sustainable agriculture. Overall, to enhance students’ attitudes towards sustainable agriculture, it is suggested that more attention be paid to the concepts of policy determination and familiarize students with sustainable agriculture in agricultural curriculum development. Keywords:
