مؤسسه انتشارات دانشگاه تهران علوم گیاهان زراعی ایران 2008-4811 56 3 2025 09 23 Evaluation of Inputs Affecting Energy and Environmental Indices in Grain and Sweet Corn Production برآورد نهاده‌های مؤثر بر شاخص‌های انرژی و زیست‌محیطی تولید ذرت شیرین و ذرت دانه‌ای 97 110 103554 10.22059/ijfcs.2025.389066.655124 FA نیما شهبازی گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه تهران، کرج، ایران 0000-0001-9985-701X ناصر مجنون حسینی گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه تهران، کرج، ایران 0000-0003-2807-9673 محمد رضا جهانسوز گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه تهران، کرج، ایران 0000-0001-8536-5911 اشکان جلیلیان گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه تهران، کرج، ایران 0000-0001-5544-8249 Journal Article 2025 01 29 Introduction. Industrial agricultural production, in the absence of input consumption, is insufficient to meet the food demands of the country’s population. However, the imbalanced consumption of these inputs leads to detrimental environmental effects. To optimize input usage and minimize environmental harm, it is crucial to identify the most frequently consumed and impactful inputs in agricultural systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effective inputs influencing energy and environmental indicators in the cultivation of grain corn and sweet corn in Karaj city. Materials and Methods. Data for the analysis was collected from both research farms and farmers' fields in the region. The analysis was performed using life cycle assessment (LCA) and the ReCiPe 2016 method, which helps to assess the environmental impacts of agricultural systems by evaluating inputs and outputs across their entire life cycle. This study was conducted at the Educational-Research Farm of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran (Karaj), in 2021. The geographical coordinates of the farm are 51 degrees east longitude, 35 degrees and 48 minutes north latitude, with an elevation of 1321 meters above sea level. According to the meteorological station report, the region has a cold and dry climate, with an average annual precipitation of approximately 250 millimeters over the past 30 years. The experimental design was carried out on a farm that served as a control, reflecting regional cropping patterns and agricultural management practices prevalent in the area. Two types of corn—grain corn (cultivar 704) and sweet corn (cultivar Super Sweet Magroot)—were planted over a 1000 square meter area. All planting, maintenance, and harvesting operations followed local practices. Fertilization rates for grain corn included 500 kgha-1 of urea, 150 kgha-1 of triple superphosphate, and 130 kgha-1 of potassium. On the other hand, sweet corn received 400 kgha-1 of urea, 200 kgha-1 of triple superphosphate, and 150 kgha-1 of potassium. The crops were planted at a density of 75,000 plants per hectare. Results and Discussion. The results revealed that the energy input for grain corn was 30,029.6 MJha-1, while the energy input for sweet corn was slightly lower at 28,951.3 MJha-1. Regarding energy output, sweet corn produced 446,600 MJha-1, which was approximately 213% higher than the 142,590 MJha-1 observed for grain corn. This indicates a significantly higher energy output for sweet corn when combined with its energy efficiency index of 0.76, compared to 0.32 for grain corn, illustrates that sweet corn is more energy-efficient than grain corn. Grain corn, however, contributed more significantly to air pollution, accounting for 61.8% of the environmental impact, as well as resource consumption. On the other hand, sweet corn posed greater environmental challenges related to water use (57%) and soil degradation (67.9%) due to its higher consumption of manure, phosphorus, and micronutrients. The environmental assessment of input usage highlighted that chemical fertilizers and diesel fuel had the highest contributions to pollutant emissions in both systems, with sweet corn farming also resulting in a higher human health damage index compared to grain corn. This higher damage index in sweet corn farming is attributed to the nature of the inputs used, including fertilizers and fuel, which are associated with significant environmental and health impacts. Conclusion. The study emphasizes the importance of adopting more sustainable agricultural practices. The need for optimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and reducing diesel fuel consumption is crucial in mitigating environmental pollutants and ensuring the sustainability of agricultural production systems. By minimizing reliance on high-emission inputs, the environmental impacts of both grain corn and sweet corn farming could be substantially reduced. In addition, further research into alternative practices and technologies could enhance the sustainability of corn production systems, paving the way for more eco-friendly agricultural practices that meet food production needs without compromising environmental health. Ultimately, the findings highlight the necessity for farmers and policymakers to focus on more sustainable management strategies, not only to optimize input usage but also to balance agricultural productivity with environmental preservation. Reducing environmental pollution from agricultural activities and enhancing resource efficiency will be key factors in achieving long-term sustainability for corn farming and other similar agricultural systems. Future studies could explore the use of precision agriculture, organic farming methods, and innovative fertilization techniques to further improve sustainability and reduce the negative environmental footprint of agricultural systems. تولیدات کشاورزی صنعتی بدون مصرف نهاده‌ها نمی‌توانند پاسخگوی نیاز غذایی مردم کشور باشند و مصرف بی‌رویه نهاده‌ها اثرات مخرب زیست‌محیطی را به همراه دارد. برای بهینهسازی مصرف نهادهها ابتدا نهاده‌های پر‌مصرف باید شناسایی شوند. در این پژوهش، با هدف شناسایی نهاده‌های مؤثر در شاخص‌های انرژی و زیست‌محیطی در دو گیاه ذرت دانه‌ای و ذرت شیرین در شهرستان کرج در سال 1400، اطلاعات مورد نیاز از سیستم مزرعه تحقیقاتی و مزارع کشاورزان منطقه جمع‌آوری شد. این تحقیق بر اساس ارزیابی چرخه زندگی و روش ReCiPe 2016 مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. نتایج مقایسه سیستم‌های کشت ذرت دانه‌ای و ذرت شیرین نشان داد که انرژی ورودی در ذرت دانه‌ای 6/30029 مگاژول در هکتار و در ذرت شیرین 3/28951 مگاژول بود. انرژی خروجی ذرت شیرین (446600 مگاژول)، حدود 213 درصد بیشتر از ذرت دانه‌ای (142590 مگاژول) بود. شاخص بهره‌وری انرژی در ذرت شیرین 76/0 و در ذرت دانه‌ای 32/0 کیلوگرم بر مگاژول بود. از نظر زیست‌محیطی، ذرت دانه‌ای سهم بیشتری در آلایندگی هوا (8/61%) داشت، درحالیکه ذرت شیرین با سهم بیشتر آلایندگی در آب (57%) و خاک (9/67 %) چالش بیشتری در این بخش‌ها ایجاد کرد. بررسی نهاده‌های مصرفی نشان داد کودهای شیمیایی (نیتروژن، فسفر و پتاسیم) و سوخت دیزلی بیشترین سهم را در انتشار آلاینده‌ها داشتند. بهطور کلی، برای افزایش پایدار تولید ذرت براساس نتایج حاصل، بهینه‌سازی مصرف کودهای شیمیایی و سوخت دیزلی به منظور کاهش آلاینده‌ها ضروری است.

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