Potential mitigation of environmental impacts of intensive plum production in southeast China with maintenance of high yields: Evaluation using life cycle assessment

Xiaojun Yan; Delian Ye; Yafu Tang; Muhammad Atif Muneer; Peter Christie; Congyue Tou; Weidong Xu; Bingrong Shen; Jinxian Xu; Jiangzhou Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1158591

Potential mitigation of environmental impacts of intensive plum production in southeast China with maintenance of high yields: Evaluation using life cycle assessment

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Mar 22:14:1158591. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1158591. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ International Magnesium Institute, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
² College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
³ Soil and Fertilizer Station of Zhaoan County, Zhangzhou, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Intensive plum production usually involves high yields but also high environmental costs due to excessive fertilizer inputs. Quantitative analysis of the environmental effects of plum production is thereby required in the development of optimum strategies to promote sustainable fruit production.

Methods: We collected survey questionnaires from 254 plum production farms in Zhao'an county, Fujian province, southeast China to assess the environmental impacts by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The farms were categorized into four groups based on yield and environmental impacts, i.e., LL (low yield and low environmental impact), LH (low yield but high environmental impact), HL (high yield but low environmental impact), and HH (high yield and high environmental impact).

Results: The environmental impacts, i.e., average energy depletion, global warming, acidification, and eutrophication potential in plum production were 18.17 GJ ha^-1, 3.63 t CO₂ eq ha^-1, 42.18 kg SO₂ eq ha^-1, and 25.06 kg PO₄ eq ha^-1, respectively. Only 19.7% of farmers were in the HL group, with 13.3% in the HH group, 39.0% in LL, and 28.0% LH. Plum yields of the HL group were 109-114% higher than the mean value of all 254 farms. Additionally, the HL group had a lower environmental impact per unit area compared to the overall mean value, with a reduction ranging from 31.9% to 36.7%. Furthermore, on a per tonne of plum production basis, the energy depletion, global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential of HL farms were lower by 75.4%, 75.0%, 75.6%, and 75.8%, respectively. Overall, the total environmental impact index of LL, LH, HL, and HH groups were 0.26, 0.42, 0.06, and 0.21, respectively.

Discussion: Excessive fertilizer N application was the main source of the environmental impacts, the potential to reduce fertilizer N rate can be achieved without compromising plum yield by studying the HH group. The results provide an important foundation for enhancing the management of plum production, in order to promote 'green' agricultural development by reducing environmental impacts.

Keywords: Prunus salicina Lindl.; environmental impacts; life cycle assessment (LCA); nitrogen management; nutrient efficiency.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Project of Technology for High-yielding and Efficient Green Plum Cultivation in Zhao’an county, China (C010499), the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (2022J01606), and the International Magnesium Institute Program of the FAFU (IMI2021-02).