Tzilivakis,
J., Jaggard, K., Lewis, K. A., May, M. and Warner, D. J. (2005) Environmental impact and
economic assessment for UK sugar beet production systems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and
Environment 107, 341-358.
Abstract
It is important to understand and evaluate the environmental
impacts of all crops if we are to develop more sustainable production systems.
Understanding the impact of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) is particularly important as
there are alternative crops that can be used for sugar production and also because there
is growing interest in its potential as a source for biofuel. This paper presents the
findings of a research project to evaluate the environmental impact and economic viability
of the range of sugar beet production systems in the UK. The study used 13 sugar beet
production scenarios that represent those used throughout the UK. These scenarios differed
in soil type, nutrients applied (inorganic and organic), crop protection (chemical and
cultural) and use of irrigation. The assessment included an evaluation of inputs
(nutrients, pesticides and energy) and their impact on the environment. A net margin for
each scenario was also calculated to provide an economic assessment. An average of the
assessment results for the different parameters across the scenarios was calculated
(weighted by the sugar beet area each scenario represented) to provide a mean figure for
sugar beet production in the UK. The results for this mean on a per ha basis were a yield
of 52 t, a net margin of £560, consumption of 21.4 GJ of energy, emission of 1.4 equiv. t
of carbon dioxide, 3.3 kg nitrogen leached, 15.2 kg nitrogen lost to denitrification and a
pesticide ecotoxicity score of 26 (low). A sustainability profile, on a per ha and a per
tonne basis, for each of the 13 scenarios was constructed enabling all scenarios to be
compared in terms of their overall environmental and economic performance. This comparison
showed that the most profitable scenario also had the best overall environmental
performance. This scenario represented 18% of UK sugar beet area. Three other scenarios
that represented 57% of the total area closely followed this performance. The overall
performance of the organic scenario was equal to the best conventional scenario on a per
ha basis, but on a per t basis its performance was lower (similar to the mean for sugar
beet in the UK) due to its significantly lower yield. This study illustrates that a
significant proportion of the UK crop is being grown in an economically efficient way
whilst minimising environmental damage.
Full paper
The full paper can be downloaded from Science Direct. |
