A Life Cycle Assessment of Rice–Rice and Rice–Cowpea Cropping Systems in the West Coast of India

Crop diversification is essential in lowland rice cropping systems to achieve sustainability, improve soil health, and as a climate-resilient practice reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for the farms west-coast region of India assess environmental impact rice–rice rice–cowpea systems. The (LCIA) evaluated “cradle-to-gate” perspective. higher energy consumption found system (32,673 vs. 18,197 MJ/ha), while net output (211,071 157,409 MJ/ha). Energy 44% lower system, which coupled with efficiency (11.6 4.8), attributed output. Further, results indicated an saving potentialin due use renewable resources such farmyard manure. Field emissions, fertilizer production, fuel were major contributors emissions both total GHG 81% (13,894 ± 1329 kg CO2 eq./ha) than (7679 719 eq./ha). largely fertilizers, diesel fuel, machinery. Hence, diversifying winter cowpea crop its large-scale adoption on west coast would provide multiple benefits decreasing improving sustainability climate resilience rice-based