Water–fertilizer coupling balances yield and the input-related carbon footprint in double-cropping greenhouse Hami melon
- 1College of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University , ,
- 2State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology , ,
Abstract
Water–fertilizer management is central to balancing productivity and environmental performance in greenhouse agriculture. Methods: In a spring–autumn greenhouse Hami melon system in Xinjiang, five irrigation (W1–W5) and three fertilization (F1–F3) levels were combined. Life cycle assessment quantified the input-related carbon footprint, plant carbon storage was measured, and structural equation modeling (SEM) evaluated associations among inputs, biomass, yield and carbon-footprint intensity. Results: Production inputs generated 12.77 t CO ₂ -eq ha ⁻¹ , with fertilizers (54.52%) and plastic film (23.16%) as the main sources. W4F3 achieved the highest yields (75.74 and 52.79 t ha ⁻¹ in spring and autumn, respectively) and plant carbon storage (up to 35.78 g C plant ⁻¹ ). In the fitted SEM, yield was strongly negatively associated with product carbon-footprint intensity (β = −1.253, P < 0.001), whereas area-based emissions were positively associated with it (β = 0.729). Under low irrigation, increasing fertilization did not consistently increase yield, while adequate water enabled fertilizer inputs to be converted more effectively into biomass and yield. Conclusion: Under the tested sandy-soil, cultivar and one-year greenhouse conditions, W4F3 (approximately 3420 m ³ ha ⁻¹ irrigation and 863 kg ha ⁻¹ fertilizer) provided the most favorable balance between yield and product carbon-footprint intensity.
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BibTeX
@article{song2026waterfertilizer,
title = {{Water–fertilizer coupling balances yield and the input-related carbon footprint in double-cropping greenhouse Hami melon}},
author = {Zhenliang Song and Ming Hong and Quanjiu Wang and Han Guo and Fanfeng Dang and Guangning Wang and Zhaoxin Liu and Liang Ma},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1917283},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13668531},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Water–fertilizer coupling balances yield and the input-related carbon footprint in double-cropping greenhouse Hami melon
AU - Zhenliang Song
AU - Ming Hong
AU - Quanjiu Wang
AU - Han Guo
AU - Fanfeng Dang
AU - Guangning Wang
AU - Zhaoxin Liu
AU - Liang Ma
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Frontiers in plant science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1917283
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13668531
AB - Water–fertilizer management is central to balancing productivity and environmental performance in greenhouse agriculture. Methods: In a spring–autumn greenhouse Hami melon system in Xinjiang, five irrigation (W1–W5) and three fertilization (F1–F3) levels were combined. Life cycle assessment quantified the input-related carbon footprint, plant carbon storage was measured, and structural equation modeling (SEM) evaluated associations among inputs, biomass, yield and carbon-footprint intensity. Results: Production inputs generated 12.77 t CO ₂ -eq ha ⁻¹ , with fertilizers (54.52%) and plastic film (23.16%) as the main sources. W4F3 achieved the highest yields (75.74 and 52.79 t ha ⁻¹ in spring and autumn, respectively) and plant carbon storage (up to 35.78 g C plant ⁻¹ ). In the fitted SEM, yield was strongly negatively associated with product carbon-footprint intensity (β = −1.253, P < 0.001), whereas area-based emissions were positively associated with it (β = 0.729). Under low irrigation, increasing fertilization did not consistently increase yield, while adequate water enabled fertilizer inputs to be converted more effectively into biomass and yield. Conclusion: Under the tested sandy-soil, cultivar and one-year greenhouse conditions, W4F3 (approximately 3420 m ³ ha ⁻¹ irrigation and 863 kg ha ⁻¹ fertilizer) provided the most favorable balance between yield and product carbon-footprint intensity.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -