Abstract

Introduction of rotational grass/clover for anaerobic digestion in a grain production system was evaluated using life cycle assessment. Energy requirement, global warming potential and land use were compared in two scenarios; one cropping system including only cereals and another also including two-year grass/clover. Use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions were reduced substantially, mainly due to replacement of diesel with biogas, but also when digested grass/clover biomass replaced N mineral fertilizer. High N use efficiency throughout the production chain was required for a high replacement rate of mineral fertilizer. The residual effect from rotational grass/clover increases the yield potential and provides N for subsequent crops. Both these aspects should be included in LCA of break crops through evaluation of crop sequences rather than specific crops. We recommend that introduction of different rotational crops relying on N-fixation be evaluated as a future strategy for improving productivity and environmental performance.

Keywords

life cycle approach, crop rotation, multifunctional bioenergy crops, N-fixation, land competition

Published in

Title: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Life Cycle Assessment in the Agri-Food Sector (LCA Food 2014), 8-10 October 2014, San Francisco, USA
ISBN: 978-0-9882145-7-6
Publisher: ACLCA

Conference

The 9th International Conference on Life Cycle Assessment in the Agri-Food Sector

SLU Authors

• Bergkvist, Göran

  • Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
Agricultural Science


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/66183