Mulching and nitrogen management in peanut cultivation: an evaluation of productivity, energy trade-off, carbon footprint and profitability

Abstract

Field study was conducted during winter seasons (November–March) of 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 at the Research Farm of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India, with an aim to investigate the crop productivity, energy and C budget, carbon footprint and economic sustainability of peanut cultivation fertilized with varied levels of nitrogen under polythene mulching. The experiment laid out in split-plot design comprised of two mulching practices as the main-plot treatments and seven doses of N with or without supplementation of Rhizobium bio-fertilizer as the sub-plot treatments. Fertilization with 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) +  Rhizobium under polythene mulching brought about significant enhancement in pod yield over other nutrient management practices. The effects on yield attributing characters were similar to that of pod yield. Energy indices namely net energy gain, energy productivity, energy intensiveness and energy profitability were the highest with 100% RDN +  Rhizobium, irrespective of mulching situations. However, the maximum values of specific energy and nutrient energy ratio were recorded when the crop received 50% RDN with and without Rhizobium, respectively, under mulching and non-mulching situations. Human energy profitability was always greater under mulching situations over non-mulching. Total estimated carbon footprints improved with increase in N level from 0 to 100% RDN with Rhizobium under polythene mulching over non-mulching situations. Highest value of C sustainability index was also observed with polythene covering particularly with the application of 100% RDN +  Rhizobium. This treatment combination also proved its superiority with respect to economic benefits in peanut cultivation.

Keywords

Peanut / Energy budget / Carbon footprint / Economics

References

[1] Akbar A, Manohar SS, Variath TV, Kurapati S, Pasupuleti J. Efficient partitioning of assimilates in stress-tolerant groundnut genotypes under high-temperature stress. Agronomy, 2017, 7: 30

[2] Alipatra A, Banerjee H. Economics and energetics in hybrid sunflower cultivation as influenced by irrigation and fertilizer management practices. J Appl Nat Sci, 2018, 10(3): 1018-1025

[3] Argaw A. Effectiveness of Rhizobium inoculation on common bean productivity as determined by inherent soil fertility status. J Crop Sci Biotechnol, 2016, 19(4): 311-322

[4] Argaw A. Development of environmental friendly bioinoculate for peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) production in Eastern Ethiopia. Environ Syst Res, 2017, 6(23): 1-12

[5] Asgharipour MR, Mondani F, Riahinia S. Energy use efficiency and economic analysis of sugar beet production system in Iran: a case study in Khorasan Razavi province. Energy, 2012, 44: 1078-1084

[6] Banerjee H, Sarkar S, Ray K. Energetics, GHG emissions and economics in nitrogen management practices under potato cultivation: a farm-level study. Energy Ecol Environ, 2017, 2: 250-258

[7] Billore SD, Singh K, Singh AP, Bargale M. Energy productivity of sorghum-wheat sequence through long-term use of chemical fertilizers. Indian J Agron, 1994, 39(2): 198-202

[8] Browne D, O’Regan B, Moles R. Use of carbon footprinting to explore alternative household waste policy scenarios in an Irish city-region. Resour Conserv Recycl, 2009, 54: 113-122

[9] Chaudhary VP, Singh KK, Pratibha G, Bhattacharyya R, Shamim M, Srinivas I, Patel A. Energy conservation and greenhouse gas mitigation under different production systems in rice cultivation. Energy, 2017, 130: 307-317

[10] Cheng-Fang L, Dan-Na Z, Zhi-Kui K, Zhi-Sheng Z, Jin-Ping W, Ming-Li C, Cou-Gui C. Effects of tillage and nitrogen fertilizers on CH₄ and CO₂ emissions and soil organic carbon in paddy fields of central China. PLoS ONE, 2012, 7(5): e34642

[11] Cuello JP, Hwang HY, Gutierrez J, Kim SY, Kim PJ. Impact of plastic film mulching on increasing greenhouse gas emissions in temperate upland soil during maize cultivation. Appl Soil Ecol, 2015, 91: 48-57

[12] DeForest JL, Zak DR, Pregitzer KS, Burton AJ. Atmospheric nitrate deposition, microbial community composition, and enzyme activity in Northern hardwood forests. Soil Sci Soc Am J, 2004, 68: 132-138

[13] Del Grosso SJ, Wirt T, Ogle SM, Parton WJ. Estimating agricultural nitrous oxide emissions. EOS Trans Am Geophys Union, 2008, 89: 529-530

[14] Devasenapathy P, Senthilkumar G, Shanmugam PM. Energy management in crop production. Indian J Agron, 2009, 54: 80-90

[15] Esengun K, Erdal G, Gunduz O, Erdal H. An economic analysis and energy use in stake–tomato production in Tokat province of Turkey. Renew Energy, 2007, 32: 1873-1881

[16] FAO (2011) The state of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture (SOLAW)—managing systems at risk. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome and Earthscan, London

[17] FAO The state of food and agriculture, climate change, agriculture and food security, 2017 Rome Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

[18] Fisher RA, Yates F. Statistical tables for biological, agricultural and medical research, 1963 London Oliver and Boyd Ltd

[19] Ganajaxi HSI, Hiremath SM, Chittapur BM. Productivity, profitability and energy use efficiency of different cropping sequences in northern transition zone of Karnataka. Indian J Agric Sci, 2011, 81: 921-926

[20] Gantait S, Gunri SK, Kundu R, Chatterjee S. Evaluation of genetic divergence in spanish bunch groundnut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.) genotypes. Plant Breed Biotechnol, 2017, 5: 163-171

[21] Ghosh PK, Dayal D, Bandyopadhyay KK, Mohanty M. Evaluation of straw and polythene mulch for enhancing productivity of irrigated summer groundnut. Field Crops Res, 2006, 99: 76-86

[22] Godfray HCJ, Beddington JR, Crute IR, Haddad L, Lawrenc D, Muir JF, Pretty J, Robinson S, Thomas SM, Toulmin C. Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science, 2010, 327(5967): 812-818

[23] Goglio P, Grant BB, Smith WN, Desjardins RL, Worth DE, Zentner R, Malhi SS. Impact of management strategies on the global warming potential at the cropping system level. Sci Total Environ, 2014, 490: 921-933

[24] Gorissen SHM, Crombag JJR, Senden JMG, Waterval WAH, Bierau J, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJC. Protein content and amino acid composition of commercially available plant-based protein isolates. J Amino Acids, 2018, 50: 1685-1695

[25] Gunady MGA, Biswas W, Solah VA, James AP. Evaluating the global warming potential of the fresh produce supply chain for strawberries, romaine/cos lettuces (Lactuca sativa), and button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) in Western Australia using life cycle assessment (LCA). J Clean Prod, 2012, 28: 81-87

[26] Gupta M, Bali A, Sharma S, Dixit AK. Potential role and influence of zero tillage technology on energy saving in rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) system. Indian J Agric Sci, 2007, 77: 657-659

[27] Hülsbergen KJ, Feil B, Biermann S, Rathke GW, Kalk WD, Diepenbrock W. A method of energy balancing in crop production and its application in a long-term fertilizer trial. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 2001, 86: 303-321

[28] IPCC Stocker TF, Qin D, Plattner GK, Tignor M, Allen SK, Boschung J, Nauels A, Xia Y, Bex V, Midglev PM. Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Contribution of working Group I to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, 2013 Cambridge Cambridge University Press 710-716

[29] IPCC (2014) Mitigation of climate change. In: Working Group III contribution to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press

[30] ISO (2006) ISO 14064-1:2006. Greenhouse gases Part 1: specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals. http://www.iso.org. Accessed 1 Apr 2020

[31] Jain NK, Meena HN, Bhaduri D. Improvement in productivity, water-use efficiency, and soil nutrient dynamics of summer peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) through use of polythene mulch, hydrogel, and nutrient management. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal, 2017, 48(5): 549-564

[32] Jain NK, Jat RA, Yadav RS, Bhaduri D, Meena HN. Polythene mulching and fertigation in peanut (Arachis hypogaea): effect on crop productivity, quality, water productivity and economic profitability. Indian J Agric Sci, 2018, 88: 1168-1178

[33] Kader MA, Senge M, Mojid MA, Ito K. Recent advances in mulching materials and methods for modifying soil environment. Soil Tillage Res, 2017, 168: 155-166

[34] Kelm M, Loges R, Taube F. Ressourceneffizienz okologischerFruchtfolge systeme German. J Agron, 2003, 15: 56-58

[35] Khorramdel S, Rezvani-Moghaddam P, Amin-Ghafori A. Evaluation of environmental impacts for wheat agroecosystems of Iran by using life cycle assessment methodology. Cereal Res, 2014, 4: 27-44

[36] Koocheki A, Ghorbani R, Mondani F, Moradi R, Alizade Y. Pulses production systems in term of energy use efficiency and economical analysis in Iran. Int J Energy Ecom Policy, 2011, 1: 95-106

[37] Lal R. Carbon emissions from farm operations. Environ Int, 2004, 30: 981-990

[38] Li YS, Wu LH, Zhao LM, Lu XH, Fan QL, Zhang FS. Influence of continuous plastic film mulching on yield, water use efficiency and soil properties of rice fields under non-flooding condition. Soil Tillage Res, 2007, 93: 370-378

[39] Malekar NB, Atakare PS. Yield of groundnut crop as affected by use of polythene mulch and raise beds. Int J Plant Sci, 2011, 6(2): 318-320

[40] Mandal KG, Saha KP, Ghosh PK, Hatik M, Bandyopadhyay KK. Bio-energy and economic analysis of soybean-based crop production systems in central India. Biomass Bioenergy, 2002, 23: 337-345

[41] Martín-Closas L, Costa J, Pelacho AM. Malinconico M. Agronomic effects of biodegradable films on crop and field environment, in soil degradable bioplastics for a sustainable modern agriculture. soil degradable bioplastics for a sustainable modern agriculture, 2017 Berlin Springer 67-104

[42] McLaughlin NB, Hiba A, Wall GJ, King DJ. Comparison of energy inputs for inorganic and manure based corn production. Can Agric Eng, 2000, 42(1): 9-17

[43] Moerschner EJ. Stoff- und Energiebilanzen von Ackerbau system enunterschiedlicher Intensitat – eine Untersuchung an den Rapsfruchtfolgen des Gottinger INTEX-Systemversuchs, 2000 MEG Forschungsbericht Agrartechnik 389

[44] Noorhosseini SA, Damalas CA. Environmental impact of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production under different levels of nitrogen fertilization. Agriculture, 2018, 8: 104

[45] Ntinas GK, Neumair M, Tsadilas CD, Meyer J. Carbon footprint and cumulative energy demand of greenhouse and open-field tomato cultivation systems under Southern and Central European climatic conditions. J Clean Prod, 2017, 142: 3617-3626

[46] Ohyama T, Minagawa R, Ishikawa S, Yamamoto M, Huang NVP, Ohtake N, Sueyoshi K, Sato T, Nagumo Y, Takahashi Y. Board JE. Soybean seed production and nitrogen nutrition. A comprehensive survey of international soybean research: genetics, physiology, agronomy and nitrogen relationships, 2013 London IntechOpen 115-157

[47] Ojiewo CO, Janila P, Bhatnagar-Mathur P, Pandey MK, Desmae H, Okori P, Mwololo J, Ajeigbe H, Njuguna-Mungai E, Muricho G. Advances in crop improvement and delivery research for nutritional quality and health benefits of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Front Plant Sci, 2020, 11: 1-15

[48] Ozkan B, Akcaoz H, Fert C. Energy input–output analysis in Turkish agriculture. Renew Energy, 2004, 29: 39-51

[49] Patel SK, Sharma A, Singh GS. Traditional agricultural practices in India: an approach for environmental sustainability and food security. Energy Ecol Environ, 2020, 5(3): 253-271

[50] Pratibha G, Srinivas I, Rao KV, Raju BMK, Thyagaraj CR, Korwar GR, Venkateswarlu B, Shanker AK, Choudhary DK, Srinivasrao K, Srinivasarao Ch. Impact of conservation agriculture practices on energy use efficiency and global warming potential in rainfed pigeonpea-castor systems. Eur J Agron, 2015, 66: 30-40

[51] Pratibha G, Srinivas I, Rao KV, Shanker AK, Raju BMK, Choudhary DK, Rao KS, Srinivasarao C, Maheswari M. Net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity of conventional and conservation agriculture system in rainfed semi-arid tropics of India. Atmos Environ, 2016, 145: 239-250

[52] Rathke GW, Diepenbrock W. Energy balance of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) cropping as related to nitrogen supply and preceding crop. Eur J Agron, 2006, 24: 35-44

[53] Rezvani MP, Feizi H, Mondani F. Evaluation of tomato production systems in terms of energy use efficiency and economical analysis in Iran. Not Sci Biol, 2011, 3: 58-65

[54] Robertson GP, Vitousek PM. Nitrogen in agriculture: balancing the cost of an essential resource. Annu Rev Environ Resour, 2009, 34: 97-125

[55] Rosenstock TS, Liptzin D, Dzurella K, Fryjoff-Hun A, Hollander A, Jensen V, King A, Kourakos G, McNally A, Pettygrove GS. Agriculture’s contribution to nitrate contamination of Californian groundwater (1945–2005). J Environ Qual, 2014, 43: 895-907

[56] Sarojani JK, Budihal R, Yaragattikara RT (2004) Polythene mulching for enhancing groundnut yield in northern transitional zone of Karnataka: a farmers experience. Current Trends of Research on Groundnut in India, p 232

[57] Shahmohammadi A, Veisi H, Khoshbakht K. Comparative life cycle assessment of mechanized and semimechanized methods of potato cultivation. Energy Ecol Environ, 2018, 3: 288-295

[58] Sharma S, Jat NL, Puniya MM, Shivran AC, Choudhary S. Fertility levels and biofertilizers on nutrient concentrations, uptake and quality of groundnut. Ann Agric Res New Ser, 2014, 35(1): 71-74

[59] Singh H, Mishra D, Nahar NM, Ranjan M. Energy use pattern in production agriculture of a typical village in arid zone India: part II. Energy Convers Manag, 2003, 44: 1053-1067

[60] Skowronska M, Filipek T. Life cycle assessment of fertilizers: a review. Int Agrophys, 2014, 28: 101-110

[61] Soltani A, Rajabi MH, Zeinali E, Soltani E. Evaluation of environmental impact of crop production using LCA: wheat in Gorgan. Elect J Crop Prod, 2010, 3: 201-218

[62] Somasegaran P, Hoben HJ. Methods in Legume–Rhizobium technology, 1985 Hawaii NifTAL

[63] Tandon SK, Singh S. Joshi PK, Challa J, Virmani SM. Energy balance in conservation agriculture and conventional farming: a comparison. Conservation Agriculture innovations for improving efficiency equity and environment, 2010 New Delhi National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) 259-280

[64] Tjandra TB, Ng R, Yeo Z, Song B. Framework and methods to quantify carbon footprint based on an office environment in Singapore. J Clean Prod, 2016, 112: 4183-4195

[65] Trust C. Carbon footprint measurement methodology, version 1.1, 2007 London The Carbon Trust

[66] Tubiello FN, Salvatore M, Rossi S, Ferrara A, Fitton N, Smith P. The FAOSTAT database of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Environ Res Lett, 2013, 8: 015009

[67] Tubiello FN, Condor-Golec RD, Salvatore M, Piersante A, Federici S, Ferrara A, Rossi S, Flammini A, Cardenas P, Biancalani R, Jacobs H (2015) Estimating greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture: a manual to address data requirements for developing. Countries Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. www.fao.org/publications. Accessed 1 Apr 2020

[68] Tzanakakis VA, Chatzakis MK, Angelakis AN. Energetic environmental and economic assessment of three tree species and one herbaceous crop irrigated with primary treated sewage effluent. Biomass Bioenergy, 2012, 47: 115-124

[69] Van Groeningen KJ, Osenberg CW, Hungate BA. Increased soil emissions of potent greenhouse gases under increased atmospheric CO₂. Nature, 2011, 475: 214-216

[70] Wackernagel M, Rees WE. Our Ecological footprint: reducing human impact on the earth, 1996 Gabriola Island New Society Publishers 160

[71] Xue JF, Pu C, Liu SL, Zhao X, Zhang R, Chen F, Xiao XP, Zhang HL. Carbon and nitrogen footprint of double rice production in Southern China. Ecol Indic, 2016, 64: 249-257

[72] Yadav GS, Lal R, Meena RS, Datta M, Babu S, Das A, Layek J, Saha P. Energy budgeting for designing sustainable and environmentally clean/safer cropping systems for rainfed rice fallow lands in India. J Clean Prod, 2017, 158: 29-37

[73] Yadav GS, Das A, Lal R, Babu S, Meena RS, Saha P, Singh R, Datta M. Energy budget and carbon footprint in a no-till and mulch based rice-mustard cropping system. J Clean Prod, 2018, 191: 144-157

[74] Yousefi M, Khoramivafa M, Mondani F. Integrated evaluation of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and global warming potential for sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) agroecosystems in Iran. Atmos Environ, 2014, 92: 501-505

[75] Zahedi M, Eshghizadeh HR, Mondani F. Energy use efficiency and economical analysis in cotton production system in an Arid region: a case study for Isfahan Province. Iran Int J Energy Econ Policy, 2014, 4: 43-52

[76] Zhang H, Guo S, Qian Y, Liu Y, Lu C. Dynamic analysis of agricultural carbon emissions efficiency in Chinese provinces along the Belt and Road. PLoS ONE, 2020, 15(2): e0228223