Abstract
Increasing the yield of oilseeds is considered an important plan and strategy in different countries such as Iran. With limited available arable land, boosting the cultivation of oilseeds should involve increasing per unit area. Therefore, narrowing the yield gap (YG) and optimizing agricultural practices/inputs can be the efficient strategies for improving food security and mitigating the environmental impacts of agriculture. For this purpose, the boundary line analysis (BLA) was integrated with the life cycle assessment (LCA) in this study to survey 301 soybean farms. BLA analysis calculated attainable yield and YG as 4437 and 1972 kg ha−1, respectively. According to the results, the BLA improved the efficient use of resources and attenuated environmental hazards by exploring the causes of YG and optimizing farm practices, something which was confirmed by the LCA and the ReCiPe2016 model. For instance, optimization of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur fertilizers resulted in reduction rates of 44%, 45%, 87%, and 56% the in global warming potential, respectively. As a result of the BLA-optimized tillage operations, the impacts of mineral resource scarcity and freshwater eutrophication were reduced by 15% and 16%, respectively. In addition, a reduction rate of 52% was also observed in the water use impact category due to the optimal irrigation frequencies, i.e., 1–3 times. Moreover, diesel fuel and fertilizers are the primary sources of environmental damage. Eventually, tillage optimization and fertilization should be first taken into account in order to produce larger amounts of healthier food by bridging the YG.
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Data availability
The majority of data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Additionally, a full copy of all datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- BLA:
-
Boundary line analysis
- BMPs:
-
Best management practices
- Cu:
-
Copper
- Cr:
-
Chromium
- Cd:
-
Cadmium
- C6H6 :
-
Benzene
- CO2 :
-
Carbon dioxide
- CO:
-
Carbon monoxide
- CH4 :
-
Methane
- eq:
-
Equivalents
- FU:
-
Functional unit
- GHG:
-
Greenhouse gases
- g:
-
Gram
- ha :
-
Hectare
- HC:
-
Hydrocarbons
- Hg:
-
Mercury
- kg:
-
Kilogram
- km2 :
-
Square kilometer
- LCA:
-
Life cycle assessment
- m3 :
-
Cubic meter
- MJ:
-
Mega joule
- mg:
-
Milligram
- NO− 3 :
-
Nitrate
- NH3 :
-
Ammonia
- N2O:
-
Dinitrogen monoxide
- NOX :
-
Nitrogen oxides
- Ni:
-
Nickel
- NUE:
-
Nitrogen-use efficiency
- NMVOC:
-
Non-methane volatile organic compound
- PAH:
-
Polycyclic hydrocarbons
- Pb:
-
Lead
- P:
-
Phosphorus
- SO2 :
-
Sulfur dioxide
- Se:
-
Selenium
- WUE:
-
Water-use efficiency
- YG:
-
Yield gaps
- Zn:
-
Zinc
- μm:
-
Micrometer
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We gratefully appreciate the assistance and cooperation provided by the Tarbiat Modares University and the esteemed soybean farmers in Mazandaran Province, Iran.
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FMK involved in conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, software, writing—original draft. HP took part in supervision, investigation, validation, review and editing. ZTS involved in data curation, validation. AM took part in supervision. MN involved in supervision. NA took part in methodology.
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Mohammadi-Kashka, F., Pirdashti, H., Tahmasebi-Sarvestani, Z. et al. Integrating life cycle assessment (LCA) with boundary line analysis (BLA) to reduce agro-environmental risk of crop production: a case study of soybean production in Northern Iran. Clean Techn Environ Policy 25, 2583–2602 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-023-02464-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-023-02464-9