Publication

Influence of field beans Vicia faba L.on yield and environmental footprint of following spring barley Hordeum vulgare L. crops

Bibliographic Details
Summary:	Background and Aims: The urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has increased interest in legume-based cropping systems. Among the various crop-legume species available, the cool-season species Vicia faba L. (cv. minor; field beans) has attracted significant interest. Assessment of the environmental impact reduction of field beans in a crop-sequence (rotation) is understudied. Methods: Data from a long term (2009–2023) field bean experimental platform (the Centre for Sustainable Cropping, CSC; James Hutton Institute, Scotland, UK) were analysed using attributional life cycle assessment (aLCA). This focused on elaborating the impacts of a spring field bean to spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cropping sequence compared with a spring barley to spring barley cropping sequence. Results: Field beans decreased the environmental impact of spring barley production in four of the five two-year crop-sequence periods, with mean impact reductions of approximately 25% across sequences. Spring barley grain yields tended to increase following field beans under drought conditions (2022). A combined index analysis indicated that humidity, maximum temperature, and previous field bean yields were the strongest determinants of spring barley production. Conclusions: The integration of field beans to cereal-dominated rotations may be of interest to major industries who seek to improve value chain sustainability, whilst ensuring crop-sequence yields are climate-impact resilient.
Main Authors:	Kartal, Umut
Other Authors:	Duffy, Colm; Saget, Sophie; Sandison, Frances; Christie, Andrew; Hawes, Cathy; Howard, Becky; Vickers, Roger; Savvas, Dimitrios; Styles, David; Iannetta, Pietro P. M.
Subject:	Hordeum vulgare Vicia faba Crop rotation Environmental impact Life cycle assessment
Year:	2026
Country:	Portugal
Document type:	research article
Access type:	open access
Associated institution:	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Language:	English
Origin:	Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Description
Summary:	Background and Aims: The urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has increased interest in legume-based cropping systems. Among the various crop-legume species available, the cool-season species Vicia faba L. (cv. minor; field beans) has attracted significant interest. Assessment of the environmental impact reduction of field beans in a crop-sequence (rotation) is understudied. Methods: Data from a long term (2009–2023) field bean experimental platform (the Centre for Sustainable Cropping, CSC; James Hutton Institute, Scotland, UK) were analysed using attributional life cycle assessment (aLCA). This focused on elaborating the impacts of a spring field bean to spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cropping sequence compared with a spring barley to spring barley cropping sequence. Results: Field beans decreased the environmental impact of spring barley production in four of the five two-year crop-sequence periods, with mean impact reductions of approximately 25% across sequences. Spring barley grain yields tended to increase following field beans under drought conditions (2022). A combined index analysis indicated that humidity, maximum temperature, and previous field bean yields were the strongest determinants of spring barley production. Conclusions: The integration of field beans to cereal-dominated rotations may be of interest to major industries who seek to improve value chain sustainability, whilst ensuring crop-sequence yields are climate-impact resilient.

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