Comparison of the environmental indicators of phosphorus efficiency and the balance between saffron and wheat production systems in the Qaenat region, Iran

Authors

1 PhD student of Ecology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

2 Associated Prof. Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand

3 Assistant Prof. Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand

Abstract

Improving the resource use efficiency in agro- ecosystems is an important
factor for reducing environmental pollution. To evaluate phosphorus (P) efficiency and
balance indicators, research was conducted in wheat and saffron production systems in
the Qaenat region (South Khorasan Province, Iran) during 2011 and 2012, based on the
method of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The
required information about wheat and saffron cultivation was collected via questionnaires
and the required coefficients were obtained from various literatures. The results showed
that the phosphorus efficiency and balance indicators were significantly different between
distinct districts only in the case of wheat crops. The highest P efficiencies of wheat and
saffron farms were 7.21% and 2.93%, respectively. Additionally, P efficiency and
balance indicators showed a significant difference between both crops in some districts,
so that wheat had higher P efficiency than saffron, which was mainly because of the
different amounts of animal manure applied to these crops. There was no significant
difference between the different ages of saffron farms for P efficiency and balance.
Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between P efficiency and
balance indicators. It would appear that there are many opportunities for improving the
efficiency of P and to prevent environmental pollution through the optimization of
management decisions.

Keywords


Aghaei, M. and Rezagholizadeh, M. (2011). Iran's
comparative advantage in production of saffron. J.
Agric. Econ. Dev., 25, 121–132.
Azizi Zehan, A.A., Kamgar Haghighi, A. A. and
Sepaskhah, A. (2006). Effect of method and
duration of irrigation on production of corm and
flowering on saffron. Iranian J. Sci. Tech. Agric.
Nat. Res., 10, 45-53.
Bassanino, M., Sacco, D., Zavattaro, L. and
Grignani, C. (2011). Nutrient balance as a
sustainability indicator of different agroenvironments
in Italy. Ecol. Indic., 11, 715–723.
Bundy, L. (1998). A Phosphorus Budget for
Wisconsin Cropland. Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Department
of Agriculture, Madison, WI.
Chamba, R. A. (2004). The role of social in the
promotion of conservation farming: the case of
landcase in the southern Philippines. (Paper
presented at the 13th International Soil
Conservation Organization Conference. Brisbane,
Australia).
Chaudhry, M. A., Rehman. A., Naeem, M. A. and
Mushtaq, N. (1999). Effect of organic and inorganic
fertilizers on nutrient contents and some properties
of eroded loess soils. Pakistan. J. Soil. Sci., 16, 63-
68.
Eghball, B., Ginting, D. and Gilley, J. E. (2004).
Residual effects of manure and compost
applications on corn production and soil properties.
Agron. J., 96, 442-447.
Ekholm, P., Turtola, E., Gro¨nroos, J., Seuri, P. and
Ylivainio, K. (2005). Phosphorus loss from
different farming systems estimated from soil
surface phosphorus balance. Agr, Ecosyst. Environ.,
110, 266–278.
Elrashidi, M. A., Mays, M. D., Harder, J.,
Schroeder, D., Brakhage, P., Peaslee, S., Seubold,
C. and Schaecher, C. (2005). Loss of phosphorus by
runoff for agricultural watersheds. Soil Sci., 170,
543–558.
Gonçalves-Gomes, E. de Mello, J. C., da Silva e
Souza, G., Angulo Meza, L. and Mangabeira, J. A.
(2009). Efficiency and sustainability assessment for
a group of farmers in Brazilian. Amazon. Ann.
Oper. Res., 169, 167-181.
Grönroos, J. and Seppälä, J. (2000). Maatalouden
tuotantotavat ja ympäristö. Finnish environment
431. Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki (In
Finnish with an executive summary in English).
Han, S. and Lee, K.D. (2006). Effect of coinoculation
with phosphate and potassium
solubilizing bacteria on mineral uptake and growth
of pepper and cucumber. Plant Soil. Environ., 52
(3), 130 -136.
Haygarth, P.M., Condron, L.M., Heathwaite, A.L.,
Turner, B.L. and Harris, G.P. (2005). The
phosphorus transfer continuum: linking source to
impact with an interdisciplinary and multi-scaled
approach. Sci. Total Environ., 344, 5-14.
Hooda, P.S., Truesdale, V.W., Edwards, A.C.,
Withers, P.J.A., Aitken, M.N., Miller, A. and
Rendell, A.R. (2001). Manuring and fertilization
effects on phosphorus accumulation in soils and
potential environmental implications. Adv. Environ.
Res., 5, 13–21.
Ju, X.T., Kou, C.L., Christie, P., Dou, Z.X. and
Zhang, F.S. (2007). Changes in the soil
environment from excessive application of
fertilizers and manures to two contrasting intensive
cropping systems on the North China Plain.
Environ. Pollut., 145(2), 497–506.
Kafi, M., Koocheki, A., Rashed Mohassel, M.H.
and Nassiri, M. (Eds.) (2006). Saffron, Production
and Processing (Science Publishers, New
Hampshire, USA.).
Keller, A. and Schulin, R. (2003). Modelling
regional-scale mass balances of phosphorus,
cadmium and zinc fluxes on arable and dairy farms.
Eur. J. Agron., 20, 181-198.
Knott, E. (1997). Handbook for Vegetable Growers
(Hoboken NJ: John Wiley & Sons).
Koocheki, A. and Khalghani, J. (Eds.) (1998).
Sustainable agriculture in temperate zones
(Mashhad: Ferdowsi university of Mashhad press).
Koocheki, A., Najibnia, S. and Lalegani, B. (2009).
Evaluation of saffron yield (Crocus sativus L.) in
intercropping with cereals, pulses and medicinal
plants. Iran. J. Field Crop Res., 7(1), 175-184.
Mikkelsen R. and Hartz T. K. (2007). Nitrogen
sources for organic crop production. Better Crops.,
92, 16-19.
Mollafilabi, A. and Shoorideh, H. (2009). The new
methods of saffron production. (Paper presented at
the 4th. National Festival of Saffron, Khorasan-
Razavi, Iran)
Norouzi, A. (2005). Effective factors on knowledge,
attitudes and skills wheat farmers about agronomic
water management. MSc Dissertation, Tehran
University, Iran.
Öborn, I., Edwards, A.C., Witter, E., Oenema, O.,
Ivarsson, K., Withers, P.J. A., Nilsson, S.I. and
Richert Stinging, A. (2003). Element balances as a
tool for sustainable nutrient management: a critical
appraisal of their merits and limitations within an
agronomic and environmental context. Eur. J.
Agron., 20, 211–225.
OECD. (2001). Environmental Indicators for
Agriculture, vol. 3, Methods and Results.
(Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) Publications Service, Paris,
France).
OECD/EUROSTAT. (2003). Gross Nitrogen
Balances. Handbook. Retrieved December 15, 2007,
from
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/comnet/agr/aeiquest.nsf.
Oenema, O., Kros, H. and deVries, W. (2003).
Approaches and uncertainties in nutrient budgets:
implications for nutrient management and
environmental policies. Eur. J. Agr., 20, 3–16.
Olfati, M., Malakouti, M.J. and Balali, M. (2000).
Determination of phosphorous critical level for
wheat crop in Iran. (In C. Malakouti (Ed.),
Balanced nutrition of wheat ( pp. 75-78). Tehran:
Publication of Agricultural Education).
Olsen, S.R., Cole, C.V., Watanabe, F.S. and Dean,
L.A. (1954). Estimation of Available Phosphorus in
Soils by Extraction with Sodium Bicarbonate (U.S.
Department of Agriculture Circular No. 939).
Peivandi, M., Rafati, A. and Mirza, M. (2009).
Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on growth and
essential oil of Artemisia annua L. Iran. J. Med.
Aromatic Plants., 25(1), 75-84.
Rasouli, F. and Maftoon, M. (2010). Residual effect
of organic matter with or without nitrogen on the
growth and chemical composition of wheat and
some soil chemical properties. J. Water Soil., 24(2),
262-273.
Reiner, I., Lampert, C., Piterkova, M. and Brunner,
P.H. (1996). Stoffbilanzen landwirtschaftlicher
Bo¨den von ausgewa¨hlten Betriebstypen bei
Verwendung von Kla¨rschlamm und Kompost.
BKK2_/Endbericht. TU Wien. Institut fu¨ r
Wassergu¨ te und Abfallwirtschaft (AWS), Wien,
Austria.
Rodriguez, H., Fraga, R., Gonzalez, T, and Bashan,
Y. (2006). Genetics of phosphate solubilization and
its potential applications for improving plant growth
promoting bacteria. Plant. Soil., 287, 15 – 21.
Sabahi, H., Ghalavand, A., Modarres Sanavi, A. M,
and Asgharzade, A. (2008). Comparison of
integrated methods and the conventional fertilizer
on rapeseed yield and soil chemical properties. J.
Water Soil., 22(2), 1-15.
Sepaskhah, A.R. and Kamgar-Haghighi, A.A.
(2009). Saffron irrigation regime. Int. J. Plant Prod.,
3, 1–16.
Sepehr, E., Malakouti, M.J., Kholdebarin, B.,
Samadi, A. and Karimian, N. (2009). Genotypics
variation in P efficiency of selected Iranian cereals
in greenhouse experiment. Int. J. Plant Prod., 3, 17-
28.
Schulte, R.P.O., Richards, K., Daly, K., Kurz, I.,
McDonald, E.J. and Holden, N.M. (2006).
Agriculture, meteorology and water quality in
Ireland: a regional evaluation of pressures and
pathways of nutrient loss to water. Biol. Environ.,
106, 117-134.
Schussler, J., Baker, L. and Chester-Jone, H.
(2007). Whole-system phosphorus balances as a
practical tool for lake management. Ecol. Eng., 29,
294–304
Shahr Aeini, A., Shaebanpour, M. and Saadat, S.
(2011). Soil salinity and density on the absorption
of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by wheat. J.
Water Soil., 25(4), 279-284.
Syers, J.K., Johnston, A.E. and Curtin, D. (2008).
Efficiency of soil and fertilizer phosphorus use:
Reconciling changing concepts of soil phosphorus
behavior with agronomic information (FAO
Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Bulletin 18. FAO,
Rome. 109p.).
Skhiri, A. and Dechmi, F. (2012). Impact of
sprinkler irrigation management on the Del Reguero
river (Spain) II: Phosphorus mass balance. Agr.
Water. Manage., 103, 130–139.
Wu, Z., Satter, L.D., Blohowiak, A.J., Stauffacher,
R.H. and Wilson, J.H. (2001). Milk production,
estimated phosphorus excretion, and bone
characteristics of dairy cows fed different amounts
of phosphorus for two or three years. J. Dairy Sci.
84, 1738–1748.