Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
PhD Student, Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
2
Associate professor, Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
3
Faculty Member, Department of Agriculture Engineering, National University of Skills, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Overexploitation of environmental resources and excessive use of chemical inputs have led to environmental issues and reduced agricultural sustainability. To address this, changing energy consumption patterns and improving energy efficiency in agriculture are crucial principles of sustainable agriculture. Emergy analysis serves as a valuable tool to assess sustainability and is applied across various agricultural systems. By adopting this approach, proper management strategies can be implemented to enhance production sustainability. This study evaluated the sustainability of the Echium amoenum production system in Guilan Province, using emergy analysis. Data were collected through field surveys and 95 completed questionnaires. Temporal and spatial boundaries were defined, and resources were categorized into renewable environmental, non-renewable environmental, purchased renewable, and purchased non-renewable groups. Emergy indices of the production system were analyzed. Results revealed that the total solar emergy input was 1.13E+18 sej.ha-1.yr-1. The system heavily relied on renewable environmental and purchased renewable flows due to high regional rainfall and the significant role of human labor. Replacing chemical fertilizers with organic alternatives could enhance the system's economic and environmental sustainability. Key emergy indices included: Emergy Renewability (%R), Specific Emergy (SE), Emergy Yield Ratio (EYR), Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR), Emergy Self-Support Ratio (ESR), Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) and Emergy index of agricultural product safety (EIPS), calculated as 0.98, 1.13E+12 sej.g-1, 10.51, 0.14, 0.66, 75.07, and 0.95, respectively. The system demonstrated favorable sustainability. With appropriate management, education, and promotion of sustainable practices, its sustainability could be further enhanced, and environmental pressures reduced.
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