Abstract
Competitiveness of traditional arable crop system of Alentejo region of Portugal has been questioned for long. Discussion and research on the sustainability of the system has evolved on two contrasted alternative options for production technologies to traditional system. On the one hand reduced and no tillage systems aim to more extensive technical operations reducing costs and maintaining production, or even to increase it in the long run as soil fertility improves. On the other hand, input intensification using irrigation, as a complement in the last stage of crop cycle or always when needed, aimed to increase system production levels. To evaluate competitiveness and sustainability of arable crop system we evaluated traditional rotation technology and alternative no tillage and irrigation systems and analyze their farm economic results as well as their energy efficiency and environmental impacts. The analysis of the impact of no tillage and irrigation on arable land production system showed that both alternatives contributed to cost savings and profit earnings, energy savings and reduced GHG emissions, increasing physical and economic factor efficiency. Research and technological development of both options are worthwhile to promote competitiveness and sustainability of arable crop production systems of the Alentejo region in Portugal.
Highlights
Production of cereals, namely wheat for production of bread to provide a basic food for population, the base cereal of the traditional arable crop system of dryland in Alentejo, has been for long encouraged and supported by Portuguese agricultural and food policies
Since the wheat campaigns of Salazar, in the early decades of the past century until the preparation adjustments and procedures of Portuguese entrance to the European Economic Community (EEC), a couple years before the formal date of 1986 due to need to adopt the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), a set of domestic policies were in place to guarantee high producer prices and maintain consumer prices low
Different inputs contribute in different percentages to total costs, primary energy consumption (PEC) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)
Summary
Production of cereals, namely wheat for production of bread to provide a basic food for population, the base cereal of the traditional arable crop system of dryland in Alentejo, has been for long encouraged and supported by Portuguese agricultural and food policies. These two options are represented by considering the two alternative technological evolutions of no tillage and of irrigation to traditional technology. This paper reports their evaluation based on energy efficiency parameters of traditional dryland wheat production rotation technology and alternative no tillage and irrigation systems and analysis of their farm economic results as well as environmental impacts. The paper ends with major conclusions and their policy implications
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