Title: Integrating eco-efficiency and artificial intelligence to assess the environmental sustainability of wheat production in mechanised and semi-mechanised systems

Authors: Mobin Amoozad-Khalili; Yaser Feizabadi; Ghasem Norouzi

Addresses: Department of Agricultural Economics, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Mazandaran, Iran ' Department of Agricultural Economics, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Mazandaran, Iran ' Department of Agricultural Economics, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Mazandaran, Iran

Abstract: The eco-efficiency index (EF) is known as a proper criterion for studying the economic and environmental sustainability in production simultaneously. In this regard, this study investigated the sustainability of the mechanised system (MS) and semi-mechanised system (SMS) of wheat production in northern Iran using EF under conventional and optimal conditions. Artificial neural networks (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) were also applied to model and optimise the wheat production system. Under conventional conditions, the EF of the SMS ($0.65 kgCO₂eq^-1) was higher than the MS ($0.52 kgCO₂eq^-1). The results of optimisation suggested that a decrease in the consumption of chemical fertilisers, biocides, and seeds, and an increase in the consumption of other inputs should be sought to achieve optimal conditions in both systems. Under optimal conditions, the results demonstrated that the EF of MS and SMS significantly increased to $1.09 kgCO₂eq^-1 and $1.15 kgCO₂eq^-1, respectively.

Keywords: eco-efficiency; model; optimisation; sustainability; wheat.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2023.133891

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2023 Vol.19 No.4, pp.383 - 403

Accepted: 04 Jan 2022
Published online: 05 Oct 2023 *

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