Analyzing the water-energy-environment nexus of irrigated wheat and maize production in Albania

Abstract

This paper analyzed the water-energy-environmental interactions in conventional wheat and maize production on a generic farm in Albania using a cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment (LCA) and energy analysis. The inputs considered were seeds, fuel, electricity, fertilizers, plant protection, irrigation water, and machinery. Energy use efficiency, specific energy, energy productivity, and net energy gain in wheat production were calculated as 4.95, 2.63 MJ kg−1, 0.38 kg MJ −1, and 49,692 MJ ha−1, respectively. For maize, these values were 7.63, 1.93 MJ kg−1, 0.52 MJ kg−1, and 82,513 MJ ha−1, respectively. Producing 1 ton of wheat requires 2626 MJ of energy, 288 m3 of water, and generates a global warming potential (GWP) of 242.2 kg CO2-eq, terrestrial acidification potential (TAP) of 4.05 kg SO2-eq, and freshwater eutrophication (FEP) of 0.135 kg P-eq. On other hand, maize requires 1927.1 MJ of energy, 561 m3 of water, and generates a GWP of 181.1 kg CO2-eq, TAP of 2.82 kg SO2-eq, and FEP of 0.1 kg P-eq. The wheat and maize production produces a single environmental score of 69.3 and 60.2 points where the foreground subsystem (on-farm) contributes to more than 75% of the total environmental load. Irrigation, machinery use, and fertilizer use and application caused most of the environmental impacts and energy consumption. As a wide range of agriculture modernization projects is taking place across Albania, footprint indicators and energy analysis are recommended to design sound farming and irrigation practices and explore synergies and trade-offs of agricultural intensification.