Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Environmental impact of rice production based on nitrogen fertilizer use

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

While essential to food production, nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agricultural ecosystems are also important sources of environmental pollution nationally and globally. The environmental impact of three N fertilization levels (30, 60, and 90 kg ha−1) plus a non-N control (0 kg ha−1) in growing three rice cultivars (cv. Hashemi, cv. Alikazemi, and cv. Khazar) were assessed for 2 years in northern Iran, with the methodology of the life cycle assessment (LCA). The impact categories evaluated in this study were global warming, acidification, terrestrial eutrophication, and depletion of fossil, phosphate, and potassium resources. Over cultivars, no use of N fertilizer provided the lowest grain yield (2194 kg ha−1), whereas the N rates of 60 and 90 kg ha−1 increased grain yield by 52.9 and 66.9%, respectively. Over N rates, cv. Khazar produced the highest grain yield (3415 kg ha−1) and cv. Hashemi the lowest (2663 kg ha−1). On-farm (foreground) emissions were higher than off-farm (background) emissions in most impact categories. The maximum value of environmental index (1.33) was observed for cv. Hashemi with 90 kg N ha−1, while the minimum value (0.38) was observed for cv. Khazar without N fertilization. Moreover, cv. Khazar showed the lowest resource depletion index (0.44) with 90 kg N ha−1, whereas cv. Hashemi with no use of N showed the maximum value (0.96). Over cultivars, high N rates imposed drastic impact to the categories acidification and terrestrial eutrophication. However, selection of high-yielding cultivars significantly alleviated the impact to most categories. Fertilization that enables optimal yields, in accordance with the nutrient requirements of crops, ensures the most efficient land use and sustainable rice production.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abeliotis K, Detsis V, Pappia C (2013) Life cycle assessment of bean production in the Prespa National Park. Greece. J Clean Prod 41:89–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Artacho P, Bonomelli C, Meza F (2009) Nitrogen application in irrigated rice grown in mediterranean conditions: effects on grain yield, dry matter production, nitrogen uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency. J Plant Nutr 32:1574–1593

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asman WAH (1992) Ammonia emissions for Europe. Report no. 228471008 for National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven, Netherlands

  • Bacenetti J, Fusi A, Negri M, Fiala M, Bocchi S (2016) Organic production systems: sustainability assessment of rice in Italy. Agric Ecosyst Environ 225:33–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bharali A, Baruah KK, Gogoi N (2017) Methane emission from irrigated rice ecosystem: relationship with carbon fixation, partitioning and soil carbon storage. Paddy Water Environ 15:221–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boateng KK, Obeng GY, Mensah E (2017) Rice cultivation and greenhouse gas emissions: a review and conceptual framework with reference to Ghana. Agriculture 7, 7

  • Bouman BAM, Humphreys E, Tuong TP, Barker R (2007) Rice and water. Adv Agron 92:187–237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouwman AF, Lee DS, Asman WAH, Dentener FJ, Van Der Hoek KW, Olivier JGJ (1997) A global high-resolution emission inventory for ammonia. Global Biochem Cycles 11:561–587

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brentrup F, Küsters J, Lammel J, Kuhlmann H (2000) Methods to estimate on-field nitrogen emissions from crop production as an input to LCA studies in the agricultural sector. Int J Life Cycle Assess 5:349–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brentrup F, Küsters J, Kuhlmann H, Lammel J (2004a) Environmental impact assessment of agricultural production systems using the life cycle assessment methodology: I. Theoretical concept of a LCA method tailored to crop production. Eur J Agron 20:247–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brentrup F, Küsters J, Lammel J, Barraclough P, Kuhlmann H (2004b) Environmental impact assessment of agricultural production systems using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology II. The application to N fertilizer use in winter wheat production systems. Eur J Agron 20:265–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassman K, Peng S, Olk D, Ladha J, Reichardt W, Dobermann A, Singh U (1998) Opportunities for increased nitrogen-use efficiency from improved resource management in irrigated rice systems. Field Crops Res 56:7–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charles R, Jolliet O, Gaillard G, Pellet D (2006) Environmental analysis of intensity level in wheat crop production using life cycle assessment. Agric Ecosyst Environ 113:216–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conry MJ (1995) Comparisons of early, normal and late sowing at three rates of nitrogen on the yield, grain nitrogen and screenings content of Blenheim spring malting barley in Ireland. J Agric Sci 125:183–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CPM (2007) SPINE@CPM database. Competence center in environmental assessment of product and material systems (CPM). Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg

  • Dehghani H (2007) Guide to air quality, principles of meteorology and air pollution. Publications of Ghashie, Tehran (in Persian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobermann A, Witt C, Abdulrachman S, Gines H, Nagarajan R, Son T, Tan P, Wang G, Chien N, Thoa V, Phung C, Stalin P, Muthukrishnan P, Ravi V, Babu M, Simbahan G, Adviento M (2003) Soil fertility and indigenous nutrient supply in irrigated rice domains of Asia. Agron J 95:913–923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorneanu M (2017) Intensive farming versus-agriculture environmentally sustainable. Quality - Access to Success 18:195–197

  • Energy Balance Sheet (2008) Available at http://www.moe.gov.ir/ (in Persian)

  • Environdec (2016) Product category classification: UN CPC 011, 014, 017, 019–arable crops, p. 1–26

  • Fageria NK, Baligar VC (2001) Lowland rice response to nitrogen fertilization. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 32:1405–1429

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fageria NK, Baligar VC (2003) Methodology for evaluation of lowland rice genotypes for nitrogen use efficiency. J Plant Nutr 26:1315–1333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fageria NK, Baligar VC, Jones CA (1997) Growth and mineral nutrition of field crops, 2nd edn. Marcel Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Fallahpour F, Aminghafouri A, Ghalegolab-Behbahani A, Bannayan M (2012) The environmental impact assessment of wheat and barley production by using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Environ Dev Sustain 14:979–992

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fusi A, Bacenetti J, González-García S, Vercesi A, Bocchi S, Fiala M (2014) Environmental profile of paddy rice cultivation with different straw management. Sci Total Environ 494-495:119–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fusi A, González-García S, Moreira MT, Fiala M, Bacenetti J (2017) Rice fertilised with urban sewage sludge and possible mitigation strategies: an environmental assessment. J Clean Prod 140:914–923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gasol CM, Gabarrell X, Anton A, Rigola M, Carrasco J, Ciria P et al (2007) Life cycle assessment of a Brassica carinata bioenergy cropping system in southern Europe. Biomass Bioenergy 31:543–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goebes MD, Strader R, Davidson C (2003) An ammonia emission inventory for fertilizer application in the United States. Atm Environ 37:2539–2550

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huo Z-Y, Gu H-Y, Ma Q, Yang X, Li M, Li G-Y, Dai Q-G, Xu K, Wei H-Y, Gao H, Lu Y, Zhang H-C (2012) Differences of nitrogen absorption and utilization in rice varieties with different productivity levels. Acta Agron Sinica 38:2061–2068

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Inthapanya P, Sipaseuth Sihavong P, Sihathep V, Chanphengsay M, Fukai S et al (2000) Genotype differences in nutrient uptake and utilization for grain yield production of rainfed lowland rice under fertilized and non-fertilized conditions. Field Crops Res 65:57–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2006) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Hayama, Japan

  • Iriarte A, Rieradevall J, Gabarrell X (2010) Life cycle assessment of sunflower and rapeseed as energy crops under Chilean conditions. J Clean Prod 18:336–345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ISO 14040 (2006) Environmental management – Life Cycle Assessment – Requirements and guidelines. International Organization for Standardization

  • Jiang Y, Van Groenigen KJ, Huang S, Hungate BA, Van Kessel C, Hu S et al (2017) Higher yields and lower methane emissions with new rice cultivars. Glob Chang Biol 23:4728–4738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khanali M, Movahedi M, Yousefi M, Jahangiri S, Khoshnevisan B (2016) Investigating energy balance and carbon footprint in saffron cultivation – a case study in Iran. J Clean Prod 115:162–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khush G (2005) What it will take to feed 5.0 billion rice consumers in 2030. Plant Mol Biol 59:1–6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koutroubas SD, Ntanos DA (2003) Genotypic differences for grain yield and nitrogen utilization in Indica and Japonica rice under Mediterranean conditions. Field Crops Res 83:251–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mirhaji H, Khojastehpour M, Abbaspour-Fard MH (2013) Environmental effects of wheat production in Marvdasht region. J Nat Environ 66:223–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemecek T, Elie OH, Dubois D, Gaillard G, Schaller B, Chervet A (2011) Life cycle assessment of Swiss farming systems: II. Extensive and intensive production. Agric Syst 104:233–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nikkhah A, Khojastehpour A, Emadi B, Taheri-Rad AR, Khorramdel S (2015) Environmental impacts of peanut production system using life cycle assessment methodology. J Clean Prod 92:84–90

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nikkhah A, Emadi B, Soltanali H, Firouzi S, Rosentrater K, Allahyari MS (2016) Integration of life cycle assessment and cobb-Douglas modeling for the environmental assessment of kiwifruit in Iran. J Clean Prod 137:843–849

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ntanos DA, Koutroubas SD (2002) Dry matter and N accumulation and translocation for Indica and Japonica rice under Mediterranean conditions. Field Crops Res 74:93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quanbao Y, Hongcheng Z, Haiyan W, Ying Z, Benfo W, Ke X, Zhongyang H, Qigen D, Ke X (2007) Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on nitrogen use efficiency and yield of rice under different soil conditions. Agric China 1:30–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renouf MA, Wegener MK, Nielsen LK (2008) An environmental life cycle assessment comparing Australian sugarcane with US corn and UK sugar beet as producers of sugars for fermentation. Biomass Bioenergy 32:1144–1155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roy P, Shimizu N, Kimura T (2005) Life cycle inventory analysis of rice produced by local processes. J Japanese Soc Agric Machin 67:61–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Signor D, Cerri CEP (2013) Nitrous oxide emissions in agricultural soils: a review. Pesq Agropec Trop 43:322–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh B, Singh Y, Khind CS, Meelu OP (1991) Leaching losses of urea-N applied to permeable soils under lowland rice. Fert Res 28:179–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh B, Singh Y, Sekhon GS (1995) Fertilizer-N use efficiency and nitrate pollution of groundwater in developing countries. J Contam Hydrol 20:167–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder CS, Bruulsema TW, Jensen TL, Fixen PE (2009) Review of greenhouse gas emissions from crop production systems and fertilizer management effects. Agric Ecosyst Environ 133:247–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soltanali H, Emadi B, Rohani A, Khojastehpour M, Nikkhah A (2015) Life cycle assessment modeling of milk production in Iran. Inform Process Agric 2:101–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Soltani A, Rajabi MH, Zeinali E, Soltani E (2010) Evaluation of environmental impact of crop production using LCA: wheat in Gorgan. Elect J Crop Prod 3:201–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Taheri-Rad AR, Nikkhah A, Khojastehpour M, Nourozieh S (2015) Assessing GHG emissions, and energy and economic analysis of cotton production in the Golestan province. J Agric Machin 5:428–445

    Google Scholar 

  • Tzilivakis J, Warner DJ, May M, Lewis KA, Jaggard K (2005) An assessment of the energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) production in the UK. Agric Syst 8:101–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Hoek KW (1998) Estimating ammonia mission factors in Europe: summary of the work of the UNECE ammonia expert panel. Atm Environ 32:315–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Werf HMG, Turunen L (2008) The environmental impacts of the production of hemp and flax textile yarn. Ind Crop Prod 27:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang M, Wu W, Liu W, Bao Y (2007) Life cycle assessment of the winter wheat-summer maize production system on the North China plain. Int J Sustain Dev World Ecol 14:400–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu L, Yuan S, Huang L et al (2016) Physiological mechanisms underlying the high-grain yield and high-nitrogen use efficiency of elite rice varieties under a low rate of nitrogen application in China. Front Plant Sci 7:1024

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran

    Mandana Tayefeh & Seyyed Mustafa Sadeghi

  2. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

    Seyyed Ali Noorhosseini

  3. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Jacopo Bacenetti

  4. Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece

    Christos A. Damalas

Authors
  1. Mandana Tayefeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Seyyed Mustafa Sadeghi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seyyed Ali Noorhosseini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jacopo Bacenetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Christos A. Damalas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christos A. Damalas.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tayefeh, M., Sadeghi, S.M., Noorhosseini, S.A. et al. Environmental impact of rice production based on nitrogen fertilizer use. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 15885–15895 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1788-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1788-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation