Post-harvest technologies
C. N. Onwusiribe; J. Mbanasor; P. O. Nto; M. C. Ndukwu
Abstract
Rice is a major staple food consumed worldwide, but its processing has significant environmental impacts due to water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, rice producers are adopting sustainable processing techniques to reduce negative environmental impacts and increase profitability. ...
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Rice is a major staple food consumed worldwide, but its processing has significant environmental impacts due to water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, rice producers are adopting sustainable processing techniques to reduce negative environmental impacts and increase profitability. This study analyzed the sustainability of modern and traditional paddy rice processing techniques among smallholder rice farmers in Southeast Nigeria. The data was collected from 240 rice producers using statistical approaches such as descriptive statistics, sustainability indicator (Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis), and multinomial regression analysis. The results showed that 34.7% of rice farmers used modern processing techniques while 65.3% used traditional methods. Traditional milling produced substantial carbon emissions, according to 77% of small-scale farmers, while 68% rated noise pollution as high. 80-100% of small-scale farmers using modern techniques cared about the environment and wanted to reduce their gas emissions, solid waste, energy use, and water use. The sustainability index for farmers using traditional and modern processing techniques was affected by gender experience, labor size, investment, income, cost of production, understanding of climate change, and environmental sustainability. The study recommends using renewable energy sources to increase productivity and reduce environmental effects.
Agricultural systems engineering (greenhouse, fish farming, mushroom production)
R. Fathi; M. Ghasemi-Nejad Raeini; R. Hesampour
Abstract
Introduction: Environmental crises and resource depletion have adversely affected environmental resources and food security in the world. Therefore, with the global population growth in the coming years and the rising need to produce more food, attention must be given to environmental issues, energy ...
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Introduction: Environmental crises and resource depletion have adversely affected environmental resources and food security in the world. Therefore, with the global population growth in the coming years and the rising need to produce more food, attention must be given to environmental issues, energy consumption, and sustainable production. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pattern of energy consumption, environmental impacts, and optimization of the studied energy indicators in dairy cattle breeding industrial units in Khuzestan province, Iran.Materials and Methods: This research was conducted in Khuzestan province, located in the southwest of Iran. Energy indicators including energy ratio, energy efficiency, specific energy, and net energy were used to determine and analyze the relationships between the output and input energy. Additionally, the life cycle assessment methodology was used to assess the environmental impact. Life cycle assessment includes a goal statement, identification of inputs and outputs, and a system for assessing and interpreting environmental impacts, and can be a good indicator for assessing environmental issues related to production. The life cycle assessment method used in this study was CML-IA baseline V3.05, which includes the four steps of (1) selecting and classifying impact categories, (2) characterizing effects, (3) normalizing, and (4) weighting. Overall, 11 impact groups were studied. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method with the Anderson-Peterson model was used for optimization. This method identifies the most efficient production unit and makes it possible to rank all of the farms in the region. In this study, each production unit (farm) was considered a decision-making unit (DMU), and its production efficiency was determined based on two models. Namely, the Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) model also known as Constant Return to Scale (CRS), and the Banker, Charnes, and Cooper (BCC) model also known as Variable Return to Scale (VRS).Results and Discussion: The results showed that the input and output energies per cow per day were 173.34 and 166 MJ, respectively. Livestock feed and electricity accounted for 65.47% and 27.2% of the input energy, respectively, while the oil used for tiller-scraper lubrication of fertilizer collection accounted for only 0.01%, making it the lowest input energy. Energy efficiency, specific energy, and net energy were calculated as 0.95, 0.13 kg MJ-1, 7.51 MJ kg-1, and -7.20 MJ per cow, respectively. In the abiotic depletion impact group, animal feed, machinery, and livestock equipment had the highest environmental impacts. The results showed that animal feed had the highest environmental emissions in all impact groups except for abiotic depletion of fossil fuels where electricity had the greatest effect. CRS model determined that 7 units were efficient; with an average efficiency of 0.78. In the BCC model, 20 production units were calculated as highly efficient, and the average efficiency was computed to be 0.78.Conclusion: In dairy farms in Khuzestan province, animal feed and electricity were found to have the highest energy consumption. In most impact groups, animal feed had the highest environmental effects. Specifically, in the abiotic depletion impact group, animal feed, livestock machinery, and equipment had the highest environmental effects. Considering the length of the heat period and the intensity of the solar flux, the installation of solar panels on the farm's roof to generate electricity can help reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy and mitigate radiation intensity under the roof.
A. Kaab; M. Sharifi; H. Moradi
Abstract
IntroductionCantaloupe is a one-year-old herb of gourds and edible fruit with very good properties. Cantaloupe is one of the best sources of vitamin A and is rich in beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. In addition, it contains other useful nutrients such as potassium, steel, ...
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IntroductionCantaloupe is a one-year-old herb of gourds and edible fruit with very good properties. Cantaloupe is one of the best sources of vitamin A and is rich in beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. In addition, it contains other useful nutrients such as potassium, steel, fiber, magnesium, iodine and vitamins B5, B3, B6 and B1. Life cycle assessment in recent years has become an appropriate tool for assessing environmental impacts in agricultural and food industries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the life cycle assessment of this horticultural crop in terms of energy consumption and the environmental impacts in the city of Iwan West, Ilam province.Materials and MethodsThe data were collected from dryland cantaloupe producers in the city of Iwan West, Ilam province using questionnaires and interviews were collected from farmers. In this study, four important energy indices were energy use efficiency (EUE), energy productivity (EP), specific energy (SE), and net energy gain (NEG). Environmental impacts on dryland cantaloupe production were evaluated using a life cycle assessment approach and the obtained indexes were calculated using the CML 2 baseline 2000 model. Ecoinvent databases were used to access needed information and data analysis was done with Simapro software. In a life cycle assessment project, all production processes of a product from the stage of extraction of materials to disposal of the remaining waste from the product are reviewed and the results of the reduction of environmental degradation are applied. Each life cycle assessment project has four essential steps including, goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, environmental impact assessment, and interpretation.Results and DiscussionInput and output energy analysis in dryland cantaloupe productionThe total input and output energies for dryland cantaloupe were calculated to be 39021.59 and 39190.43 MJ ha-1, respectively. Diesel fuel, agricultural machinery and nitrogen fertilizers were the most widely used energy inputs with 51%, 24%, and 14%, respectively. Energy use efficiency for dryland cantaloupe production was calculated at 1.004.Analysis of environmental impacts in dryland cantaloupe productionIn this study, the global warming potential per produced product in dryland cantaloupe production was estimated to be equal to 202.45 kgCO2 eq. from among inputs, diesel fuel had the most impact on the effects of abiotic depletion and ozone layer depletion, and in all parts of the effects of agricultural machinery and nitrogen fertilizers, the largest share of pollutants was allocated. The results of normalization showed that the effect of marine aquatic ecotoxicity and freshwater aquatic has the highest environmental burden on dryland cantaloupe production.ConclusionThe results of energy analysis showed that the total energy inputs were equal to 39021.59 MJ ha-1. Among inputs of diesel fuel, agricultural machinery, and nitrogen fertilizer were the most consumed energy inputs. The energy use efficiency index and the net energy in this study were 1.004 and 168.84 MJ ha-1, respectively. The results of environmental impacts had shown that diesel fuel, nitrogen fertilizer, and agricultural machinery had been most affected. It is recommended that proper management of agricultural machinery, equipping fields with new and suitable machines and avoiding the use of tractors and worn-out tools should be put in order to minimize the energy consumption and environmental pollutants generated by the production. Less use of chemical fertilizers (especially nitrogen) and its replacement with organic fertilizers can also be affected.
