Pravash Chandra MoharanaRoll No. 9905

Division of Soil Science & Agricultural ChemistryIndian Agricultural Research Institute

New Delhi-110 012

Contents

As any other industrial process, food production system also contributes to

Depletion of natural resourcesEnvironment pollution, andClimate change

Introduction

Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Activities

Emission of GHG (CO2 equivalent emissions) from different Agriculture sector (million tonnes)

INCCA, 2010

Mil

lio

n t

on

nes

Greenhouse gases emission in ecosystems

IPCC, 2006

Increasing the agricultural production to

feed ever-growing population

Increasing the agricultural production to

feed ever-growing population

Reduction of GHG emission for climate change mitigation in

compliance with the international treaty or obligation

Reduction of GHG emission for climate change mitigation in

compliance with the international treaty or obligation

Major challenges

Need of hour...

Understanding of the mitigation potential and developing low carbon practices in agriculture. For this purpose great efforts have been given worldwide to quantifying the Carbon Footprint of agricultural production which requires an understanding of the Life Cycle of a product

(Wiltshire et al., 2008)

Carbon footprint (CF) is a measure of the exclusive total amount of

carbon dioxide emissions that is directly and indirectly caused by

an activity or is accumulated over the life stages of a product

(Wiedmann and Minx, 2007)

Carbon footprint (CF) is a measure of the exclusive total amount of

carbon dioxide emissions that is directly and indirectly caused by

an activity or is accumulated over the life stages of a product

(Wiedmann and Minx, 2007)

CF is a measure of the exclusive total amount of GHGs emission in

carbon equivalent (CE) that is directly and indirectly caused by an

individual, organization, process, product, or event over entire

lifecycle or within a specified boundary

(Dubey and Lal, 2009; Pandey et al., 2011)

CF is a measure of the exclusive total amount of GHGs emission in

carbon equivalent (CE) that is directly and indirectly caused by an

individual, organization, process, product, or event over entire

lifecycle or within a specified boundary

(Dubey and Lal, 2009; Pandey et al., 2011)

What is Carbon Footprint ??

Why work out a carbon footprint?

Carbon footprint, being a quantitative expression of GHG emissions from an activity helps in

Emission management and evaluation of mitigation measures

Identification of important sources of emissions in entire life period

Prioritization of areas of emission reductions and increasing efficiencies

Provides the opportunity for environmental efficiencies and cost reductions

Useful for respond to legislative requirements, or carbon trading or as a part of corporate social responsibility, or for improving the brand’s image

Pandey et al., 2011

Per capita carbon footprint

Per capita carbon footprint in different classes on countries based on degree of development (based on UNDP 2007)

UNDP, 2007; Pandey et al., 2011

1. Defining Goal and Scope: Select product or activityDefine purpose of studyFix boundaries accordingly

2. Inventory Analysis: Identify all relevant inputs and outputsQuantify GHGs (At this stage, data are in terms of energy

consumed, emission amounts, etc.)

3. Impact Analysis: Determine the resulting environmental impacts (At this stage, the

previous data are translated in different impact)

4. Interpretation / Improvement Analysis: Use value for judgment to assess and/or in relation to the objectives

of the study

Steps of C footprint

Fertilizer productionPesticide and other chemical production

Seed productionFuel productionTransportation

Pre farm

Field preparations (tillage, harrowing, puddling etc)Seed treatment and sowing

Fertilizer and manure applicationPesticide application

IrrigationWeeding

Other intercultural operations Harvesting

Crop residue burningDrying

ThreshingWinnowing

Storage

On farm

TransportationDistribution

ConsumptionWaste

Post farm

Defining activities in Crop production

Grain Straw GHG (CO2,

CH4, N2O) Water loss

(evaporation, percolation, runoff)

Nutrient loss (volatilization, leaching, runoff, adsorption)

Electricity

Diesel

Seed

Water

Fertilizers

Pesticides

labors

Transportation Field preparations

(tillage, harrowing) Seed treatment and

sowing Fertilizer and manure

application Pesticide application Irrigation Weeding Intercultural

operations, harvesting

Threshing Winnowing Storage

Food and feed safety

Global warming/climate change

Ozone layer depletion

Acid rain Soil and

water pollution

Eutrophica-tion

INPUT ACTIVITIES OUT PUT IMPACT

Inventory Analysis of Agriculture

Carbon Cost of input = Agricultural Input × Emission Factor

a. From production and transportation of off farm input NPK-fertilizers, pesticide or other chemical, diesel, electricity, etc.

1. Quantification of green house gas emission in CO2 - eq

Carbon foot print calculation

Cheng et al., 2011

Carbon cost represents the GHGs emission induced by certain agricultural input (in tCE)

Carbon cost of direct N2O emission (CFN) from chemical N fertilizer application

CFN=FN×δN×(44/28)×298× (12/44)

Where, FN= quantity of N fertilizer δN= emission factor of N2O

2. Total Carbon footprint of crop production

CFt = CFF + CFN + CFp + CFIR + CFPF + CFD

where,

CFF= Individual carbon costs from inputs fertilizers

CFN = direct N2O from N fertilizer applied

CFp = pesticides

CFIR = irrigation

CFPF = plastic films

CFD = mechanical performanceCheng et al., 2011

Emission factors of agriculture inputs

Carbon footprint For crop production

GHG emission from corn productionInputs of corn production System

Inputs Corn

Fertilizer (kg)

N 145

P2O5 51

K2O 65

Sulphur 4.2

Lime 321

Energy

Diesel (L) 43.0

Gas (L) 11.2

LPG (L) 67.3

Elect. (kwh) 41.5

Herb/Pesticides (kg) 2.8

Seed (kg) 216 Environmental Working Group, 2011

GHG emission from soybean and Alfalfa production

Soybean

Alfalfa

Environmental Working Group, 2011

Carbon dioxide emissions due to the production of different farm inputs and operations

Carbon footprint of winter wheat

Mechanical operations

Carbon cost (kg CE h-1) Winter wheat Total

Soil preparation

Ploughing 15.2 1 15.2

Harrowing 1.7 1 1.7

Combo drilling 3.2 1 3.2

Rolling 1.7 1 1.7

Sub soiling 11.3 1 11.3

Product application

Fertilizer spraying 0.9 3 2.7

Pesticide spraying 1.4 4 5.6

Removal

Carbon cost (kg CE h-1) Winter wheat

Harvesting Combining 33.6 0.5 16.6

Carting 1.44 1.05 1.5

Baling 19.3 0.4 8.1

Hillier et al., 2009

Additions

C cost per kgapplied (kg CE kg-1 a.i.)

Winter wheat

Total

Fertilizer

N 2.96 215 638.2

P 0.20 142 28.4

K 0.15 194 29.1

Crop protection Herbicide 6.30 1 6.30

Insecticide 0.36 1 0.36

Fungicide/nematicide 3.16 2 6.32

Total Carbon foot print of winter wheat cost (kg CE ha-1) 764.9

Carbon foot print of winter wheat (cont..)

Hillier et al., 2009

Carbon footprint of Conservation Agriculture

Tillage Irrigation

S1-Conventional practice S2- Zero tillage in wheat (November – April), puddled transplanted rice (rainy season) and cover crop (summer season) S3- Conservation agriculture practices (zero tillage rice and wheat, zero tillage cowpea )S4- Intensification of cropping system (direct seeded rice in the rainy season, potato and maize in winter and cowpea as relay cropping in summer ) Laik et al., 2011

Tillage practice = diesel consumed CO2emission (3.15 kg L-1)Irrigation = electricity consumed (kwh) CO2emission (1000 g kwh-1)

Eq

uiv

alen

t C

O2(

kg h

a-1)

Equivalent CO2(kg ha-1) required for tillage and irrigation in rice production

Tillage Irrigation

S1-conventional practice S2- zero tillage in wheat (November – April), Puddled transplanted rice (rainy season) and cover crop (summer season) S3- Conservation agriculture practices (zero tillage rice and wheat, zero tillage cowpea )S4- Intensification of cropping system (direct seeded rice in the rainy season, potato and maize in winter and cowpea as relay cropping in summer )

Laik et al., 2011

Tillage practice=diesel consumed CO2emission(3.15kg per litre)Irrigation=electricity consumed (kwh) CO2emission(1000g per kwh)

Eq

uiv

alen

t C

O2(

kg h

a-1)

Equivalent CO2(kg ha-1) required for tillage and irrigation in wheat production

Carbon footprint of Conservation Agriculture

Trends in C-based inputs and outputs in Indian agriculture

Dubey and Lal , 2009 ; Maheswarappa et al. 2011

Trends in C-based inputs and outputs in Punjab

Total C output (Mt) of different crops in India

Crops 1960–61 1970–71 1980–81 1990–91 2000–01 2008–09Rice 27.66 33.77 42.90 59.43 67.98 79.32

Wheat 11.00 23.83 36.31 55.14 69.68 80.58

Coarse cereals

23.74 30.55 29.02 32.70 31.08 39.48

Pulses 16.93 15.76 14.17 19.01 14.76 19.55

Oilseeds 9.31 12.84 12.49 24.81 24.59 37.55

Sugarcane 162.96 187.21 228.52 357.11 438.46 401.85

Cotton 1.28 1.08 1.78 2.23 2.16 5.25

Hort. Crops NA NA NA 38.62 38.62 85.89

Maheswarappa et al., 2011

Carbon sustainability index and total production in Indian agriculture

Maheswarappa et al. 2011

Carbon foot print of different crops

Hillier et al., 2009

Total carbon footprint of different farming operations

Hillier et al., 2009

Emission of greenhouse gases in various stages of life cycle and carbon footprint of food items

Pathak et al., 2010

Pathak et al., 2010

Emission of greenhouse gases per calorie food consumption and their emission intensity

Relative contribution of greenhouse gases and stages of life

cycle of Indian food items towards global warming

GHGs Lifecycle stages

Pathak et al., 2010

Relative contribution of various food items to GHG emission in balanced vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets

Pathak et al., 2010

Why Nitrogen Foot print is so Important?

To feed our growing population, humans have disrupted the delicately balanced natural nitrogen cycle. The turning point came in 1909, when Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch figured out how to combine hydrogen with N2 to create ammonia, which was used to produce fertilizer. The use of synthetic fertilizer has vastly increased agricultural yields around the world. Today, the International Nitrogen Initiative estimates that 40% of the global population is dependent on crops fertilized with reactive nitrogen.

A study by University of Virginia environmental scientist James Galloway and colleagues reported that from 1970 to 2008, world population increased by 78% and reactive nitrogen creation grew 120%. Human have introduced additional reactive nitrogen into the environment by expanding the production of soybeans, peanuts and alfalfa, (leguminous) crops which host nitrogen-fixing bacteria that convert N2 into reactive nitrogen.

Global N2O flux

IPCC, 2007

Problems of reactive nitrogen

Air pollution produced by nitrogen gases (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide).

Acid deposition by nitrogen oxide. Eutrophication because of high nitrate in aquatic ecosystems. Loss of biological diversity, especially losses of plants adapted to

efficient use of N. Methemoglobinemia in infants because of increased nitrate ions

in water and food. Global warming because of increased emission of nitrous oxide,

a potent greenhouse gas. Depletion of stratospheric ozone by nitrous oxide.

N-PRINT will be able to describe how Nr is lost to the environment and its resulting impacts due to individual (consumer) and collective (producers and society) consumption behaviour and the ways in which policy can have an effect on these losses (Leach et al., 2012).

What is N foot print

N foot print minimize the negative effects of nitrogen on human health and the environment and optimize the beneficial role of nitrogen in sustainable food production

Average per capita country Nitrogen footprints

Leach et al., 2012

Calculation schematic for Nitrogen footprint for food

Leach et al., 2012

N footprint of Food crop production

Farm machinery and products manufacture

Crop production

Combustion

Storage

Transportation

Cleaning residueMethodology to calculate

Nitrogen Footprinthttp://www.n-print.org

1) The colored boxes show the available Nr at each stage of the food production process, with their areas reflecting the magnitude of Nr;

2) The black arrows show the Nr that makes it to the next stage; 3) The start of the grey arrows is the total Nr wasted, and the end of the grey arrows is the

Nr lost to the environment; 4) The dotted arrows show the Nr recycled, which is subtracted from the Nr wasted to find

the Nr lost to the environment; and 5) The diagrams show the summation of multiple iterations of the calculations; the

iterations determine how recycled Nr is distributed throughout the system.

Nitrogen flow in the corn production process

Leach et al., 2012

Reduction of C and N foot print

(i) Mitigation of GHG emissions (ii) Increasing C sequestration (iii) Combination of mitigation and increasing C

sequestration

Recommended practices C sequestration potential(Mg C ha-1 yr-1)

Conservation tillage 0.10-0.40

Winter cover crop 0.05-0.20

Soil fertility management 0.05-0.10

Elimination of summer fallow 0.05-0.20

Forages based rotation 0.05-0.20

Use of improved varieties 0.05-0.10

Organic amendments 0.20-0.30

Recommended Management Practices for reducing C footprint

Lal et al., 1998

Cumulative GHG emissions over 33 years in conventional till versus no-till cereal cropping system

Wang and Dalal, 2005

Reduction of N footprint

Apply fertilizer N at optimum rates

Apply fertilizer N at the rate and time to meet crop/pasture

needs and development stage

Use cover crops to utilise the residual mineral N

Practice good crop/pasture /soil management

Avoid surface application

Fertilizer may be formulated with urease and/or nitrification

inhibitors

Fertilizers form

ConclusionsAgriculture sector contributes significantly to global carbon

emissions from diverse sources such as product and machinery manufacture, transport of materials and direct and indirect soil greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon foot print estimates of emissions for individual farm operations to quantify the relative contribution of a range of farming operations and different crops.

Carbon and Nitrogen footprint helps growers, advisors and policy makers to make informed decisions about management to optimize crop production, biodiversity and carbon footprint.

N footprints help reduce Nr losses to the environment.

Future steps

In India, Carbon and Nitrogen footprint of different cropping systems—rice-wheat, rice-rice, rice-other crops, potato-other crops, sugarcane, plantations, dry land cropping systems, animal production systems, poultry industry, etc. need to be quantified

Development of suitable model for calculation of C and N footprint, prediction and management of GHGs

Research need for climate change and its impact on agriculture