Life cycle assessment of a rice production system in Taihu region, China

In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to examine the environmental impact of the rice production system in Taihu region, China. The LCA considered the entire system required to produce 1 t of rice. The analysis included raw material extraction and transportation, agrochemical production and transportation, and arable farming in the field. The result shows that the significance of environmental impacts, followed by aquatic eutrophication, water depletion, global warming, acidification, and energy depletion. As such, reducing nitrogen (N) fertilizer intensity and increasing utilization efficiency are the key points to control the life cycle environmental impacts of rice, which would decrease resource consumption and emissions not only directly in the arable farming subsystem but also indirectly in the upstream production stage. Strengthening water management, especially in the early growth stage, and reduction of paddy field water discharge are also significant measures with which to minimize N and phosphorus (P) runoff losses and control acidification potential (AP) and aquatic eutrophication potential (AEP), so as to reduce life cycle environmental impacts of the rice production system.