پژوهش‌های مکانیک ماشینهای کشاورزی

پژوهش‌های مکانیک ماشینهای کشاورزی

Energy and environmental impacts assessment in apple production and storage using the LCA approach in West Azarbaijan province

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان
Hakim Alipour Journey 1
ََAref Mardani Korani 2
Arash Mohebbi 3
1 Ph.D. candidate, Department of Mechanical Biosystems, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Mechanical Biosystems, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Biosystems, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
10.22034/jrmam.2026.15145.783
چکیده
Sustainable agricultural production depends on efficient energy management and mitigation of environmental burdens. Apple is among the most important horticultural crops in cold climates, with Iran ranking as a major global producer. However, a comprehensive understanding of energy use and emissions—particularly covering both orchard production and post harvest storage—has been lacking for key growing regions such as West Azarbaijan. To fill this gap, this study offers three innovations: (i) concurrent assessment of production and storage in the cold semi arid context of West Azarbaijan, unlike previous regional studies that treated these phases separately; (ii) application of a quantitative framework using SimaPro 9.5, CML, and Ecoinvent v3.5 to disaggregate each input's contribution across 10 environmental impact categories; and (iii) translation of findings into practical engineering interventions, including tractor fuel optimization and solar powered cooling systems for local orchards. Average total energy input and yield were 116,505 MJ ha⁻¹ and 34,951 kg ha⁻¹. Fuel (39%), NPK fertilizers (22%), and pesticides (14%) dominated energy use, with energy ratio (0.72 ± 0.06), productivity (0.32 ± 0.03 kg MJ⁻¹), and net energy (−32,621 ± 1,830 MJ ha⁻¹). Environmentally, eutrophication (473 × 10⁻⁹ kg PO₄ eq), freshwater ecotoxicity (137 × 10⁻⁹ kg 1/4 DB eq), marine ecotoxicity (0.0802 × 10⁻⁹ kg 1/4 DB eq), and acidification (0.0121 × 10⁻⁹ kg SO₂ eq) emerged as the most severe impacts. These insights—previously unavailable—provide a basis for targeted strategies, including high efficiency machinery, consolidated operations, rooftop solar panels, organic fertilizers, crop diversification, timely pruning, and bio based pest management.
کلیدواژه‌ها
ارزیابی چرخه حیات
سیب
شاخص‌های انرژی
شاخص‌های زیست‌محیطی
آذربایجان غربی
موضوعات
Akdemir, S., Akcaoz, H., & Kizilay, H. (2012). An analysis of energy use and input costs for apple production in Turkey. Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, 10(2), 473-479. Agriculture & Environment, 10(2), 473-479.https://doi.org/10.1234/4.2012.3032
 
Alaphilippe, A., Boissy, J., Simon, S., & Godard, C. (2016). Environmental impact of intensive versus semi-extensive apple orchards: use of a specific methodological framework for Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) in perennial crops. Journal of Cleaner Production, 127, 555-561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.031
 
Ampese, L. C., Ziero, H. D. D., Velásquez, J., Sganzerla, W. G., Martins, G., & Forster‐Carneiro, T. (2023). Apple pomace management by anaerobic digestion and composting: a life cycle assessment. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, 17(1), 29-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.2446
 
Blanke, M., & Burdick, B. (2005). Food (miles) for thought-energy balance for locally grown versus imported apple fruit (3 pp.). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 12, 125-127. https://doi.org/10.1065/espr2005.05.252
 
Bosona, T. (2024). Life Cycle Assessment of Dried Organic Apple Value Chains Considering Conventional and Heat-Pump-Assisted Drying Processes: The Case of Sweden. Agriculture, 14(3), 461. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030461
 
Büchele, F., Hivare, K., Khera, K., Thewes, F. R., Argenta, L. C., Hoffmann, T. G., ... & Neuwald, D. A. (2024). Novel Energy-Saving Strategies in Apple Storage: A Review. Sustainability, 16(3), 1052. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031052
 
Cerutti, A. K., Bruun, S., Donno, D., Beccaro, G. L., & Bounous, G. (2013). Environmental sustainability of traditional foods: the case of ancient apple cultivars in Northern Italy assessed by multifunctional LCA. Journal of Cleaner Production, 52, 245-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.03.029
 
Erdal, G., Esengün, K., Erdal, H., Gündüz, O., 2007. Energy use and economic analysis of sugar beet production in Tokat province of Turkey. Energy, 32, 35–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2006.01.007
 
FAO. (2024). FAOSTAT statistical database. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL
 
Ghasemi-Mobtaker, H., Kaab, A., Rafiee, S., & Nabavi-Pelesaraei, A. (2022). A comparison of modeling techniques and life cycle assessment for prediction of output energy, economic profit, and global warming potential for wheat farms. Energy Reports, 8, 4922-4934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.03.184
 
Goossens, Y., Annaert, B., De Tavernier, J., Mathijs, E., Keulemans, W., & Geeraerd, A. (2017). Life cycle assessment (LCA) for apple orchard production systems including low and high productive years in conventional, integrated and organic farms. Agricultural Systems, 153, 81-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.01.007
 
Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, H., Safarzadeh, D., Ahmadi, E., Nabavi-Pelesaraei, A., Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, E. (2017). Applying data envelopment analysis to the evaluation of energy efficiency and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions of fattening farms. Energy 120, 652– 662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.11.117
 
Canals, L. M., Burnip, G. M., & Cowell, S. J. (2006). Evaluation of the environmental impacts of apple production using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): case study in New Zealand. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 114(2-4), 226-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2005.10.023
 
Canals, L., Cowell, S. J., Sim, S., & Basson, L. (2007). Comparing domestic versus imported apples: a focus on energy use. Environmental Science and Pollution Research-International, 14, 338-344. https://doi.org/10.1065/espr2007.04.412
 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2019). 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Volume 4, Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU). Geneva: IPCC
 
Kehagias, M. C., Michos, M. C., Menexes, G. C., Mamolos, A. P., Tsatsarelis, C. A., Anagnostopoulos, C. D., & Kalburtji, K. L. (2015). Energy equilibrium and carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions in organic, integrated, and conventional apple orchards related to the natural site. Journal of Cleaner Production, 91, 89-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.12.007
 
Khanali, M., Kokei, D., Aghbashlo, M., Nasab, F. K., Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, H., & Tabatabaei, M. (2020). Energy flow modeling and life cycle assessment of apple juice production: Recommendations for renewable energy implementation and climate change mitigation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 246, 118997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118997
 
Kitani, O. (1999). CIGR Handbook of Agricultural Engineering, Volume V: Energy and Biomass Engineering, Chapter 1: Natural Energy and Biomass, Part 1.3: Biomass Resources. https://doi.org/ 10.13031/2013.36411
 
Li, S., & Zhang, H. (2023). Life cycle assessment of Apple production system from the perspective of farmer differentiation -a case study of Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3653372/v1
 
Longo, S., Mistretta, M., Guarino, F., & Cellura, M. (2017). Life Cycle Assessment of organic and conventional apple supply chains in the North of Italy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 654-663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.02.049
 
Majeed, Y., Khan, M. U., Waseem, M., Zahid, U., Mahmood, F., Majeed, F., & Raza, A. (2023). Renewable energy as an alternative source for energy management in agriculture. Energy Reports, 10, 344-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2023.06.032
 
Naderi, S., Raini, M. G. N., & Taki, M. (2020). Measuring the energy and environmental indices for apple (production and storage) by life cycle assessment (case study: Semirom county, Isfahan, Iran). Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 6, 100034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2020.100034
 
Ozkan, B., Kurklu, A., Akcaoz, H. (2004). An input-output energy analysis in greenhouse vegetable production: a case study for Antalya region of Turkey. Biomass and Bioenergy 26, 89–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0961-9534(03)00080-1
 
Pishgar-Komleh, S. H., Čechura, L., & Kuzmenko, E. (2021). Investigating the dynamic eco-efficiency in the agriculture sector of the European Union countries. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(35), 48942-48954. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13948-w
 
Rafiee, S., Avval, S. H. M., & Mohammadi, A. (2010). Modeling and sensitivity analysis of energy inputs for apple production in Iran. Energy, 35(8), 3301-3306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2010.04.015
 
Russo, F., & Comi, A. (2024). New challenges for city logistics: a unified view of energy and transport systems for addressing sustainability. Transportation Research Procedia, 79, 313-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2024.03.042
 
Sharifi, S., Hafezi, N., & Aghkhani, M. H. (2025). Investigation and Optimization of Energy Consumption and Yield Modeling of Two Paddy Cultivars with Genetic-Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm. Journal of Agricultural Machinery, 15(2), 145-164. https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.2022.77064.1108
 
Taghavifar, H. & Mardani, A. (2015a). Energy consumption analysis of wheat production in West Azerbaijan utilizing life cycle assessment (LCA). Renewable Energy, 74, 208-213.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.08.026
 
Taghavifar, H., & Mardani, A. (2015b). Prognostication of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis of apple production in West Azerbaijan of Iran using Artificial Neural Network. Journal of Cleaner Production, 87, 159-167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.10.054
 
Taki, M., Rohani, A., & Rahmati-Joneidabad, M. (2018). Solar thermal simulation and applications in greenhouses. Information processing in agriculture, 5(1), 83-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpa.2017.10.003
 
Unakitan, G., Hurma, H., & Yilmaz, F. (2010). An analysis of energy use efficiency of canola production in Turkey. Energy, 35(9), 3623-3627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2010.05.005
 
Vinyes, E., Asin, L., Alegre, S., Muñoz, P., Boschmonart, J., & Gasol, C. M. (2017). Life Cycle Assessment of apple and peach production, distribution, and consumption in the Mediterranean fruit sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 149, 313-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.102
 
Zhu, Z., Jia, Z., Peng, L., Chen, Q., He, L., Jiang, Y., & Ge, S. (2018). Life cycle assessment of conventional and organic apple production systems in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 201, 156-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.032