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Evaluation of the Grey Water Footprint Comparing the Indirect Effects of Different Agricultural Practices

Author

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  • Eros Borsato

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, 35020 Agripolis, Italy)

  • Alejandro Galindo

    (Department of Water Engineering & Management, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente. P.O. Box, 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands)

  • Paolo Tarolli

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, 35020 Agripolis, Italy)

  • Luigi Sartori

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, 35020 Agripolis, Italy)

  • Francesco Marinello

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, 35020 Agripolis, Italy)

Abstract

Increasing global food demand and economic growth result in increasing competition over scarce freshwater resources, worsened by climate change and pollution. The agricultural sector has the largest share in the water footprint of humanity. While most studies focus on estimating water footprints (WFs) of crops through modeling, there are only few experimental field studies. The current work aims to understand the effect of supposedly better agricultural practices, particularly precision agriculture (variable rate application of fertilizers and pesticides) and conservation agriculture (minimum, strip, or no-tillage), on water deterioration and water pollution. We analyzed the results from an experimental field study in the northeast of Italy, in which four different crops are grown across three years of crops rotation. We compared minimum, strip, and no-tillage systems undergoing variable to uniform rate application. Grey WFs are assessed based on a field dataset using yield maps data, soil texture, and crop operations field. Leaching and associated grey WFs are assessed based on application rates and various environmental factors. Yields are measured in the field and recorded in a precision map. The results illustrate how precision agriculture combined with soil conservation tillage systems can reduce the grey water footprint by the 10%. We assessed the grey Water Footprint for all the field operation processes during the three-year crop rotation.

Suggested Citation

  • Eros Borsato & Alejandro Galindo & Paolo Tarolli & Luigi Sartori & Francesco Marinello, 2018. "Evaluation of the Grey Water Footprint Comparing the Indirect Effects of Different Agricultural Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:11:p:3992-:d:179739
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Xiaoxue Zheng & Lijie Qin & Hongshi He, 2020. "Impacts of Climatic and Agricultural Input Factors on the Water Footprint of Crop Production in Jilin Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, August.
    3. Eros Borsato & Marco Martello & Francesco Marinello & Lucia Bortolini, 2019. "Environmental and Economic Sustainability Assessment for Two Different Sprinkler and A Drip Irrigation Systems: A Case Study on Maize Cropping," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-15, August.
    4. Marcelo Werneck Barbosa & José M. Cansino, 2022. "A Water Footprint Management Construct in Agri-Food Supply Chains: A Content Validity Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Jin, Zhaoqiang & Yue, Rui & Ma, Zhenfa & Cheng, Shangheng & Khan, Mohammad Nauman & Nie, Lixiao, 2024. "Effect of water and nitrogen coupling on energy balance and production efficiency in rice production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
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    7. Jeonghyun Kim & Hojeong Park & Jong Ahn Chun & Sanai Li, 2018. "Adaptation Strategies under Climate Change for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity in Cambodia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Anna Podlasek & Eugeniusz Koda & Magdalena Daria Vaverková, 2021. "The Variability of Nitrogen Forms in Soils Due to Traditional and Precision Agriculture: Case Studies in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-28, January.
    9. Tatevik Yezekyan & Marco Benetti & Giannantonio Armentano & Samuele Trestini & Luigi Sartori & Francesco Marinello, 2021. "Definition of Reference Models for Power, Mass, Working Width, and Price for Tillage Implements," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Ge Song & Chao Dai & Qian Tan & Shan Zhang, 2019. "Agricultural Water Management Model Based on Grey Water Footprints under Uncertainty and its Application," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-18, October.

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