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Effects of irrigated and dryland conditions on energy indices in wheat production: a meta-analysis based on the principal components analysis

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Abolfazl Nasseri at Irrigation Systems
Abolfazl Nasseri
  • Irrigation Systems
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Irrigated and dryland production systems have different production inputs and energy indices in the farms. The previous studies compared only some energy indices from mentioned conditions with limited or locally applicable findings. Now, meta-analysis is applied to summarize, merge and combine findings and results of independent and repeated agronomic studies. Also, a powerful technique known as principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to convert a large number of correlated indices into a smaller number called principal components. A meta-analysis based on the PCA was conducted by collecting and investigating the data published in peer-reviewed papers to classify the major indices; and to evaluate the effect of irrigated conditions in comparison with the dryland one on energy indices in wheat farms. The PCA revealed that the first two components (PC1 and PC2) described about 80% of the data-variations of energy indices for both irrigated and dryland treatments. Energy indices were divided into homogenous clusters based on the contributions to principal components. The indices of the first cluster (net energy gain and energy output) had the most considerable contribution to principal components. The meta-analysis of 628 observations on energy indices and production inputs showed that irrigation practice significantly increased grain yield by 142%, energy input by 120%, energy output by 133%, and net energy gain by 152% compared with dryland conditions. Moreover, irrigation practice with average applied water of 4134 (m³ ha⁻¹) had higher consumption energy in human labor (118%), machinery (67%), nitrogen fertilizer (85%), fuel (61%), seed (43%) and herbicides (116%) compared with dryland conditions. The regression analysis among energy indices and production inputs showed that an increase in human labor, machinery, fuel, irrigation, herbicides and wheat grain yield caused an increase in energy input, net energy and energy output from farms. Some strategies, including the appropriate application of agronomic practices, were suggested to reduce the negative impact of energy input and to improve both yield and energy indices in dryland and irrigated wheat production. Graphical abstract
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Environment, Development and Sustainability
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04495-8
1 3
Effects ofirrigated anddryland conditions onenergy indices
inwheat production: ameta‑analysis based ontheprincipal
components analysis
AbolfazlNasseri1
Received: 21 August 2022 / Accepted: 10 January 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024
Abstract
Irrigated and dryland production systems have different production inputs and energy indi-
ces in the farms. The previous studies compared only some energy indices from mentioned
conditions with limited or locally applicable findings. Now, meta-analysis is applied to
summarize, merge and combine findings and results of independent and repeated agro-
nomic studies. Also, a powerful technique known as principal component analysis (PCA)
is applied to convert a large number of correlated indices into a smaller number called
principal components. A meta-analysis based on the PCA was conducted by collecting and
investigating the data published in peer-reviewed papers to classify the major indices; and
to evaluate the effect of irrigated conditions in comparison with the dryland one on energy
indices in wheat farms. The PCA revealed that the first two components (PC1 and PC2)
described about 80% of the data-variations of energy indices for both irrigated and dryland
treatments. Energy indices were divided into homogenous clusters based on the contribu-
tions to principal components. The indices of the first cluster (net energy gain and energy
output) had the most considerable contribution to principal components. The meta-analysis
of 628 observations on energy indices and production inputs showed that irrigation prac-
tice significantly increased grain yield by 142%, energy input by 120%, energy output by
133%, and net energy gain by 152% compared with dryland conditions. Moreover, irriga-
tion practice with average applied water of 4134 (m3 ha−1) had higher consumption energy
in human labor (118%), machinery (67%), nitrogen fertilizer (85%), fuel (61%), seed (43%)
and herbicides (116%) compared with dryland conditions. The regression analysis among
energy indices and production inputs showed that an increase in human labor, machinery,
fuel, irrigation, herbicides and wheat grain yield caused an increase in energy input, net
energy and energy output from farms. Some strategies, including the appropriate applica-
tion of agronomic practices, were suggested to reduce the negative impact of energy input
and to improve both yield and energy indices in dryland and irrigated wheat production.
* Abolfazl Nasseri
nasseri.ab@gmail.com
1 Agricultural Engineering Research Department, East Azarbaijan Agricultural andNatural
Resources Research andEducation Center, AREEO, Tabriz, Iran
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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