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Dairy Buffalo Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Affected by a Management Choice: The Production of Wheat Crop

Author

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  • Elio Romano

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, CREA-IT, 24047 Treviglio, Italy)

  • Pasquale De Palo

    (Department of Medicine Veterinary, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70010 Valenzano, Italy)

  • Flavio Tidona

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre Animal Production and Aquaculture, CREA-ZA, 26900 Lodi, Italy)

  • Aristide Maggiolino

    (Department of Medicine Veterinary, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70010 Valenzano, Italy)

  • Andrea Bragaglio

    (Department of Medicine Veterinary, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70010 Valenzano, Italy)

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed in dairy buffalo farms representative of Southern Italian farming systems, similar due to several characteristics, with the exception of wheat production. This work evaluated the impacts derived from this management choice, comparing farms with wheat crop (WWC) or not (NWC). In agreement with the literature, economic allocation was chosen as a useful strategy to attribute equivalents to by-products, i.e., culled animals; the same criterion was also adopted to assign pollutants to wheat grain, limited to WWC farms. Environmental impacts in terms of Global Warming Potential (GWP, kg CO 2 eq), Acidification Potential (AC, g SO 2 eq), Eutrophication Potential (EU, g PO 4 3- eq), Agricultural Land Occupation (ALO, m 2 y) and Water Depletion (WD, m 3 ) were estimated. The production of wheat crop significantly affected (p < 0.05) the Agricultural Land Occupation (ALO) category as WWC farms need adequate land. WWC farms could allow a significant reduction in eutrophication (EU) compared to NWC farms (p < 0.05).

Suggested Citation

  • Elio Romano & Pasquale De Palo & Flavio Tidona & Aristide Maggiolino & Andrea Bragaglio, 2021. "Dairy Buffalo Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Affected by a Management Choice: The Production of Wheat Crop," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-20, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:19:p:11108-:d:651709
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sabia, Emilio & Napolitano, Fabio & Claps, Salvatore & De Rosa, Giuseppe & Barile, Vittoria Lucia & Braghieri, Ada & Pacelli, Corrado, 2018. "Environmental impact of dairy buffalo heifers kept on pasture or in confinement," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 42-49.
    2. Arjen Y. Hoekstra, 2017. "Water Footprint Assessment: Evolvement of a New Research Field," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(10), pages 3061-3081, August.
    3. Patra, Amlan Kumar & Pal, Kaushik & Lalhriatpuii, Melody, 2020. "Prediction of nitrogen excretion in buffalo production systems using dietary and animal variables," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    4. Elio Romano & Rocco Roma & Flavio Tidona & Giorgio Giraffa & Andrea Bragaglio, 2021. "Dairy Farms and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): The Allocation Criterion Useful to Estimate Undesirable Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-24, April.
    5. Andrea Bragaglio & Ada Braghieri & Corrado Pacelli & Fabio Napolitano, 2020. "Environmental Impacts of Beef as Corrected for the Provision of Ecosystem Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrea Bragaglio & Aristide Maggiolino & Elio Romano & Pasquale De Palo, 2022. "Role of Corn Silage in the Sustainability of Dairy Buffalo Systems and New Perspective of Allocation Criterion," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-24, June.

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