The Effects of Irrigation Methods on Carbon Emission and Water-energy Consumption of Crop Production

Abstract

【Objective】 Water and energy consumption in agricultural production impacts greenhouse emissions both directly and indirectly, and the concept of water-energy nexus is to quantify their relationships. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate to what extent irrigation methods could affect this nexus, as well as its consequence for carbon emission. 【Method】 The analysis was based on data measured from the water-saving agricultural experimental field at the Yuanyang Science and Education Park of Henan Agricultural University. Energy consumption and carbon emission were measured and calculated for winter wheat-maize rotation which was watered using surface flood irrigation, drip irrigation and micro-sprinkler irrigation, respectively, from which we analyzed the impact of water-energy consumption on carbon emission. 【Result】 Emission induced by energy consumption of the irrigations was the main carbon emission for irrigated agriculture; water-energy consumption and carbon emission in traditional flood irrigation were much higher than that from the improved drip and sprinkler irrigation. Compared with traditional flood irrigation, drip irrigation reduced water and energy consumption as well as carbon emission by 60%, 19.47% and 45% respectively. In flood irrigation, carbon emission from winter wheat was 18.97% higher than that from summer maize. In contrast, switching to micro-sprinkler or drip irrigation increased the carbon emission from summer maize by 40.08% and 43.75%, respectively, compared to that from the winter wheat. Drip and micro-sprinkling irrigation increased the summer maize yield by 12.05% and 43.13%, respectively, compared to flood irrigation. Overall, cultivation and water-energy consumption of different irrigation methods were the main reason behind the difference in their carbon emissions. 【Conclusion】 Water and energy consumption and its associated carbon emission in crop production varied with irrigation method. Water-saving irrigation such as drip and micro-sprinkler irrigations is effective in reducing energy consumption and carbon emission, and thus has potential for dissemination at large scales.

Keywords

• agricultural production
• irrigation methods
• carbon emission
• water and energy consumption