Abstract
PurposeThe relationship between farm size and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has not been clearly defined. This paper aims to assess and compare the impact of farm size on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions derived from wheat and maize production in the North China Plain (NCP), one of the most important agricultural regions in China.Design/methodology/approachA field survey through face-to-face interviews was conducted to collect the primary data, and life cycle assessment method, a worldwide comparable framework, was then adopted to characterize the farm-size effect on greenhouse gas (GHG) wheat and maize production in NCP.FindingsIt was confirmed that GHG emissions from N fertilizer production and use were the primary contributor to total carbon footprint (CF). As farm size increased, maize yield increased but wheat yield barely changed, while area-scaled and yield-scaled CF declined for both crops. These results were supposed to relate to utilize the inputs more efficiently resulting from increased application of modern agriculture methods on larger operations. It was also found maize not only had higher grain yields, but possessed much smaller CFs. More notably, the reduction of CF with farm size seemed to be more sensitive for maize as compared to wheat. To further mitigate GHG emissions, farm size should better be larger for wheat than for maize.Originality/valueThis study provides useful information guide for Chinese agriculture in increasing crop production, raising farm income and relieving environmental burdens caused by the misuse of agricultural resources.
Highlights
To satisfy the rising food demand caused by rapid population growth, modern agricultural inputs have been increasingly applied to support high-yield grain production
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from N fertilizer production and use were the single biggest contributor to the total carbon footprint (CF), followed by electricity used for irrigation (15–30%)
Our results confirmed that GHG emissions derived from N fertilizer production and use made up $60% of the total CF for wheat and maize production in the NPC, with electricity used for irrigation as the secondhighest contributor ($20%)
Summary
To satisfy the rising food demand caused by rapid population growth, modern agricultural inputs (such as fertilizers, fuel and pesticides) have been increasingly applied to support high-yield grain production. Their excessive use has induced a series of negative environmental effects, including soil acidification, water eutrophication and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Ju et al, 2009; Tilman et al, 2011). The ways in which farm size affects GHG emissions and crop production have been drawing increasing research attention
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