Water-fertilizer coupling balances yield and the input-related carbon footprint in double-cropping greenhouse Hami
Zhenliang Song1, Ming Hong1, Quanjiu Wang2
1College of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.
Abstract:
Water-fertilizer management is central to balancing productivity and environmental performance in greenhouse agriculture.
Methods:
In a spring-autumn greenhouse Hami melon system in Xinjiang, five irrigation (W1-W5) and three fertilization (F1-F3) levels were combined. Life cycle assessment quantified the input-related carbon footprint, plant carbon storage was measured, and structural equation modeling (SEM) evaluated associations among inputs, biomass, yield and carbon-footprint intensity.
Results:
Production inputs generated 12.77 t CO2-eq ha-1, with fertilizers (54.52%) and plastic film (23.16%) as the main sources. W4F3 achieved the highest yields (75.74 and 52.79 t ha-1 in spring and autumn, respectively) and plant carbon storage (up to 35.78 g C plant-1). In the fitted SEM, yield was strongly negatively associated with product carbon-footprint intensity (β = -1.253, P < 0.001), whereas area-based emissions were positively associated with it (β = 0.729). Under low irrigation, increasing fertilization did not consistently increase yield, while adequate water enabled fertilizer inputs to be converted more effectively into biomass and yield.
Conclusion:
Under the tested sandy-soil, cultivar and one-year greenhouse conditions, W4F3 (approximately 3420 m3 ha-1 irrigation and 863 kg ha-1 fertilizer) provided the most favorable balance between yield and product carbon-footprint intensity.
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