Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Conventional and Conservation Tillage Systems for Energy Crop Cultivation in Northern Italy

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Abstract
Sustainable agriculture is a key pillar of the transition to agri-food systems that ensure global food security and the preservation of resources and ecosystems. This study evaluates the environmental impacts of different soil management practices in an agricultural system producing energy crops (maize and sorghum), using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, comparing conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no-tillage agricultural practices. The results show no significant differences between conventional and minimum tillage in most impact categories, while no-tillage shows a significant reduction in environmental impact of almost 50%. The hotspot analysis shows that organic fertilisation, especially the application of digestate, is the main contributor to environmental impacts, particularly in the Climate Change and Eutrophication categories. The results highlight key methodological challenges in LCA, such as the allocation of impacts between digestate and biogas production, and the need to integrate biological and chemical soil processes. While conservation agriculture can improve soil health, its environmental benefits are not fully captured by LCA. This study highlights the need to integrate LCA methodologies with complementary analyses to better assess the sustainability of agricultural practices and support informed decision-making.

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