• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.1143-1152
• /
• 2012

We established a top-down methodology to estimate carbon footprint as national mean value (reference) with the statistical data on agri-livestock incomes in 2007. We also established LCI (life cycle inventory) DB by a bottom-up methodology with the data obtained from interview with farmers from 4 large-scale farms at Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do province to estimate carbon footprint in 2011. This study was carried out to compare top-down methodology and bottom-up methodology in performing LCA (life cycle assessment) to analyze the difference in GHGs (greenhouse gases) emission and carbon footprint under conventional rice cultivation system. Results of LCI analysis showed that most of $CO_2$ was emitted during fertilizer production and rice cultivation, whereas $CH_4$ and $N_2O$ were mostly emitted during rice cultivation. The carbon footprints on conventional rice production system were 2.39E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ by top-down methodology, whereas 1.04E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ by bottom-up methodology. The amount of agro-materials input during the entire rice cultivation for the two methodologies was similar. The amount of agro-materials input for the bottom-up methodology was sometimes greater than that for top-down methodology. While carbon footprint by the bottom-up methodology was smaller than that by the top-down methodology due to higher yield per cropping season by the bottom-up methodology. Under the conventional rice production system, fertilizer production showed the highest contribution to the environmental impacts on most categories except GWP (global warming potential) category. Rice cultivation was the highest contribution to the environmental impacts on GWP category under the conventional rice production system. The main factors of carbon footprints under the conventional rice production system were $CH_4$ emission from rice paddy field, the amount of fertilizer input and rice yield. Results of this study will be used for establishing baseline data for estimating carbon footprint from 'low carbon certification pilot project' as well as for developing farming methods of reducing $CO_2$ emission from rice paddy fields.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.179-184
• /
• 2013

BACKGROUND: Accurate estimates of total direct $CH_4$ emissions from croplands on a country scale are important for global budgets of anthropogenic sources of $CH_4$ emissions and for the development of effective mitigation strategies. Methane production resulted by the anaerobic decomposition of organic compounds where $CO_2$ acts as inorganic electron acceptor. This process could be affected by the addition of rice straw, water management and rice variety itself. METHODS AND RESULTS: Rice (Oryza sativa L. Japonica type, var Samkwangbyeo) was cultivated in four plots: (1) Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (NPK) ($N-P_2O_5-K_2O$:90-45-57 kg/ha); (2) NPK plus 3 Mg/ha rice straw (RS3); (3) NPK plus 5 Mg/ha rice straw (RS5); (4) NPK plus 7 Mg/ha rice straw (RS7) for 3 years (2010-2012) and the rice straw incorporated in fall (Nov.) in Gyeonggi-do Hwaseong-si. Gas samples were collected using the closed static chamber which were installed in each treated plot of $152.9m^2$. According to application of 3, 5, 7 Mg/ha of rice straw, methane emission increased by 46, 101, 190%, respectively, compared to that of the NPK plot. CONCLUSION(S): We obtained a quantitative relationship between $CH_4$ emission and the amount of rice straw applied from rice fields which could be described by polynomial regression of order 2. The emission scaling factor estimated by the relationship were in the range of IPCC GPG (2000).

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.235-243
• /
• 2012

Mobile sources are one of the most significant contributors to the inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG). The administration in Korea has set a goal of cutting GHG emissions of vehicles by 34.3% compared to Business As Usual (BAU) by 2020. To achieve this goal, GHG emission standards for vehicles have been applied since 2012, and now light-duty trucks are under consideration to be included to the vehicle types that will be regulated in the new version of GHG emission standards. Therefore, this study focuses on analyzing characteristics of exhaust GHGs (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions of diesel light-duty trucks according to their various driving modes. GHGs emissions of diesel light-duty trucks reduced in inverse proportion to the speed of the vehicles. GHGs emissions from the combined mode were 8% and 14% lower than those from the CVS- 75 and NEDC modes, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.1157-1163
• /
• 2012

This study was performed a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) among three rice production systems in order to analyze the difference of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and environment impacts. Its life cycle inventory (LCI) database (DB) was established using data obtained from interview with conventional, without agricultural chemical and organic farming at Gunsan and Iksan, Jeonbuk province in 2011. According to the result of LCI analysis, $CO_2$ was mostly emitted from fertilizer production process and rice cropping phase. $CH_4$ and $N_2O$ were almost emitted from rice cultivation phase. The value of carbon footprint to produce 1 kg rice (unhulled) on conventional rice production system was 1.01E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ and it was the highest value among three rice production systems. The value of carbon footprints on without agricultural chemical and organic rice production systems were 5.37E-01 $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ and 6.58E-01 $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Without agricultural chemical rice production system whose input amount was the smallest had the lowest value of carbon footprint. Although the yield of rice from organic farming was the lowest, its value of carbon footprint less than that of conventional farming. Because there is no compound fertilizer inputs in organic farming. Compound fertilizer production and methane emission during rice cultivation were the main factor to GHGs emission in conventional and without agricultural chemical rice production systems. In organic rice production system, the main factors to GHGs emission were using fossil fuel on machine operation and methane emission from rice paddy field.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.705-715
• /
• 2010

The adoption of carbon foot print system is being activated mostly in the developed countries as one of the long-term response towards tightened up regulations and standards on carbon emission in the agricultural sector. The Korean Ministry of Environment excluded the primary agricultural products from the carbon foot print system due to lack of LCI (life cycle inventory) database in agriculture. Therefore, the research on and establishment of LCI database in the agriculture for adoption of carbon foot print system is urgent. Development of LCA (life cycle assessment) methodology for application of LCA to agricultural environment in Korea is also very important. Application of LCA methodology to agricultural environment in Korea is an early stage. Therefore, this study was carried out to find out the effect of lettuce cultivation on agricultural environment by establishing LCA methodology. Data collection of agricultural input and output for establishing LCI was carried out by collecting statistical data and documents on income from agro and livestock products prepared by RDA. LCA methodology for agriculture was reviewed by investigating LCA methodology and LCA applications of foreign countries. Results based on 1 kg of lettuce production showed that inputs including N, P, organic fertilizers, compound fertilizers and crop protectants were the main sources of major emission factor during lettuce cropping process. The amount of inputs considering the amount of active ingredients was required to estimate the actual quantity of the inputs used. Major emissions due to agricultural activities were $N_2O$ (emission to air) and ${NO_3}^-$/${PO_4}^-$ (emission to water) from fertilizers, organic compounds from pesticides and air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion in using agricultural machines. The softwares for LCIA (life cycle impact assessment) and LCA used in Korea are 'PASS' and 'TOTAL' which have been developed by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Ministry of Environment. However, the models used for the softwares are the ones developed in foreign countries. In the future, development of models and optimization of factors for characterization, normalization and weighting suitable to Korean agricultural environment need to be done for more precise LCA analysis in the agricultural area.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.842-847
• /
• 2012

This study was conducted to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions on local government levels from 1990 to 2010 using 2006 IPCC guideline methodology. To calculate greenhouse gas emissions based on the 16 local governments, emission factor and scaling factor were used with default value and activity data came from the food, agricultural, forestry and fisheries statistical yearbook of MIFAFF (Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries). The total emissions in crop sector gradually decreased from 1990 to 2010 due to a decline in agricultural land and nitrogen fertilizer usage. The annual average emission of greenhouse gas was the highest in Jeonnam (JN) with 1,698 Gg $CO_2$-eq and following Chungnam (CN), Gyungbuk (GB), Jeonbuk (JB) and Gyunggi (GG). The sum of top-six locals emission had occupied 83.4% of the total emission in cropland sector. The annual average emissions in 1990 by applying 2006 IPCC guideline were approximately 43% less than the national greenhouse gas inventory by 1996 IPCC guideline. Jeonnam (JN) province occupied also the highest results of greenhouse gas emission estimated by gas types (methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide) and emission sources such as rice cultivation, agricultural soil, field burning of crop residue and urea fertilizer.