Συγκριτική μελέτη ανάλυσης κύκλου ζωής συμβατικής και εναλλακτικής παραγωγής σίτου
Comparative life cycle assessment of conventional and alternative wheat production

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Keywords
Ανάλυση κύκλου ζωής ; Καλλιέργεια σιταριού ; Λίπανση ακριβείας ; Εκτίμηση περιβαλλοντικών επιπτώσεων ; ReCiPeAbstract
The potential environmental impacts of wheat production have not been studied enough, especially in Greece. This assessment is crucial due to the rapid development of cereal cultivation worldwide and the intensive practices often applied. The focus of this thesis is to apply Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate wheat production in the Krokos Kozani area. The methodology used involves collecting primary data from the producer through a questionnaire with the aim to assess the environmental impacts of wheat cultivation using conventional farming methods, precision fertilization, and no-till farming. The system boundaries included agricultural production, starting from land preparation to the harvest of the final product, following a "cradle-to-gate" approach. The functional unit is 1 hectare of wheat cultivation. The study uses SimaPro software to record raw materials, cultivation processes, transportation, and consumption of different inputs in detail. The analysis was conducted using the ReCiPe 2016 method, at both midpoint and endpoint levels. The results showed that fertilization, crop protection, and sowing have the most substantial environmental impact. The least burdensome process is no-till farming, followed by precision fertilization, while conventional farming has the most significant burden. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to compare the results with various quantities of fertilizers. The original quantity of fertilizers used by the farmer and reductions of 20%, 30%, and 50% were compared, showing the respective environmental impact.