Optimization of energy consumption and environmental impacts of chickpea production using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and multi objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) approaches

Highlights

• Inputs and outputs data were collected from 110 farmers in Esfahan province of Iran.

• Energy productivity and energy ratio were computed 0.06 kg MJ⁻¹and 1.02, respectively.

• Machinery and manure management were important to modify energy and environmental performance.

• MOGA reduced the environmental impacts much larger than DEA.

• Inputs usage obtained from MOGA was significantly lower than the results of DEA.

Abstract

Energy consumption in agricultural products and its environmental damages has increased in recent centuries. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been introduced as a suitable tool for evaluation environmental impacts related to a product over its life cycle.

In this study, optimization of energy consumption and environmental impacts of chickpea production was conducted using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and multi objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) techniques. Data were collected from 110 chickpea production enterprises using a face to face questionnaire in the cropping season of 2014–2015. The results of optimization revealed that, when applying MOGA, optimum energy requirement for chickpea production was significantly lower compared to application of DEA technique; so that, total energy requirement in optimum situation was found to be 31511.72 and 27570.61 MJ ha⁻¹ by using DEA and MOGA techniques, respectively; showing a reduction by 5.11% and 17% relative to current situation of energy consumption. Optimization of environmental impacts by application of MOGA resulted in reduction of acidification potential (ACP), eutrophication potential (EUP), global warming potential (GWP), human toxicity potential (HTP) and terrestrial ecotoxicity potential (TEP) by 29%, 23%, 10%, 6% and 36%, respectively. MOGA was capable of reducing the energy consumption from machinery, farmyard manure (FYM) diesel fuel and nitrogen fertilizer (the mostly contributed inputs to the environmental emissions) by 59%, 28.5%, 24.58% and 11.24%, respectively. Overall, the MOGA technique showed a superior performance relative to DEA approach for optimizing energy inputs and reducing environmental impacts of chickpea production system.