Abstract
While intensive peach production has expanded rapidly in recent years, few studies have explored the environmental impacts associated with specific regional systems or the optimal management strategies to minimize associated environmental risks. Here, data from a survey of 290 native farmers were used to conduct a life cycle assessment to quantify the acidification potential (AP), global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication potential (EP), and reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses in peach production in Pinggu District, Beijing. Total annual Nr losses, and GWP, AP, and EP values for peach production in Pinggu District were respectively 10.7 kg N t−1, 857 kg CO2-eq t−1, 12.9 kg SO2-eq t−1, and 4.1 kg PO4-eq t−1. The principal driving factors were fertilizer production, transportation, and application, which together accounted for 94%, 67%, 75%, and 94% of Nr losses, GWP, AP, and EP, respectively. In the high yield, high nitrogen-use efficiency (HH) group, relative values of Nr losses, GWP, AP, and EP were respectively 33%, 25%, 39%, and 32% lower than the overall averages for 290 orchards. Further analyses indicate that improved farming practices such as decreasing application rates of fertilizers, increasing proportion of base fertilization rate, and proper fertilization frequency in the HH group were the main reasons for these orchards’ better performance in peach yields and partial factor productivity of nitrogen fertilizer, and their reduced environmental impacts. These results highlight the need to optimize nutrient management in peach production in order simultaneously to realize both environmental sustainability and high productivity in the peach production system.
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This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFD1700900), National Natural Science Foundation of China (42175137), the High-level Team Project of China Agricultural University, Research and Application of key Technology of Cultivated Land Quality Cultivation and Agriculture Green Development (Z191100004019013) and the Program of Advanced Discipline Construction in Beijing (Agriculture Green Development).
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Ziyue Li: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Validation, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft, Visualization, Yongliang Chen: Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing, Wen Xu: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition, Mathew R. Heal: Writing – review & editing, Fanlei Meng: Writing – review & editing, Qishao: Writing – review & editing, Aohan Tang: Writing – review & editing, Jiechen Wu: Writing – review & editing, Xuejun Liu: Writing – review & editing, Zhenling Cui: Resources, Supervision, Project administration, Writing – review & editing.
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Li, Z., Chen, Y., Meng, F. et al. Integrating life cycle assessment and a farmer survey of management practices to study environmental impacts of peach production in Beijing, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 57190–57203 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19780-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19780-0