Life cycle assessment of wheat-maize rotation system emphasizing high crop yield and high resource use efficiency in Quzhou County

Abstract

Abstract Life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to examine the environmental impact of wheat-maize rotation system emphasizing double high in Quzhou County. The LCA considered the entire system, from raw material extraction to grain production, in arable farming to produce 1 ton each of winter wheat and summer maize. Results indicated that double high agriculture could improve the yield of winter wheat and summer maize by 6.84% and 9.80% respectively, while decreasing the demand for non-renewable energy resources by 13.18% for winter wheat, and 17.45% for summer maize. In the double high production system, N and P fertilizer application was decreased by 5.23% and 7.79% for winter wheat production, and 2.37% and 56.54% for summer maize production. Less use of fertilizers in the winter wheat-summer maize production system decreased global warming, acidification, and aquatic eutrophication potentials. In the double high system, farmers decreased pesticide use by 10.64% for winter wheat and 19.57% for summer maize, thus reducing their potential evaporation, leaching, and surface run-off to environment. In addition, the double high agriculture decreased the heavy metal release to soil as a result of lower use of P fertilizers. In conclusion, the double high agriculture could decrease global warming, acidification, aquatic eutrophication, human toxicity, aquatic eco-toxicity, and soil eco-toxicity potentials as well as life cycle environmental impact index of winter wheat-summer maize production system. The practice in Quzhou County showed that double high system of winter wheat-summer maize production could increase food production while protecting environmental quality and conserving natural resources, and is thus applicable to North China Plain.