US EPA

1528340 

Journal Article 

Greenhouse gas emissions profile for 1 tonne of wheat produced in Central Zone (East) New South Wales: a life cycle assessment approach 

Brock, P; Madden, P; Schwenke, G; Herridge, D 

2012 

Yes 

Crop and Pasture Science
ISSN: 1836-0947 

63 

4 

319-329 

10.1071/CP11191 

WOS:000305505300003 

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has become an increasingly
common approach across different industries, including agriculture, for environmental impact
assessment. A single-issue LCA focusing on greenhouse gas emissions was conducted to determine
the emissions profile and total carbon footprint of wheat produced in the Central Zone (East) of
New South Wales. Greenhouse gas emissions (in carbon dioxide equivalents; CO2-e) from all stages
of the production process, both pre-farm and on-farm, were included. Total emissions were found
to be 200 kg CO2-e per t of wheat at the farm gate, based on a 3.5 t/ha grain yield. The relative
contribution of greenhouse gas emissions from different components of the production system was
determined, with most emissions (37%) coming from pre-farm production and transport of fertiliser
(30%) and lime (7%) and from the nitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from the nitrogenous fertiliser
applied to the crop (26%). Other important emissions included the CO2 emissions from the use of
fertiliser and lime (15%) and the production, transport and use of diesel (16%). The relative
importance of other minor emissions is also discussed. For a higher yielding crop (5.0 t/ha),
total emissions were found to be 150 kg CO2-e per t of wheat. This paper considers the effect of
different management scenarios on the emissions profile and the effect of adopting a N2O
emissions factor, which is based on current New South Wales field research, rather than the
current Australian National Greenhouse Accounts National Inventory Report default value. This LCA
provides a template from which comparative farming systems LCA can be developed and provides data
for the Australian Life Cycle Inventory. 

carbon footprint; greenhouse gas; LCA; Life Cycle Assessment; nitrous oxide; wheat production