Influence of Orchard Cultural Practices during the Productive Process of Cherries through Life Cycle Assessment

This study describes the influence of orchard cultural practices during productive process cherries on environmental impact in terms energy, air, soil and water through a “farm to market” Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The results were used identify that contribute significantly find solutions reduce those impacts, serving as best guide improving performance benchmarks for other national international cherry fruit growers. Primary data production, harvest post-harvest periods gathered experimentally. openLCA 1.10.2 software ecoinvent 3.5 database modelling. Test case scenarios are modelled low high production campaigns depending climatic conditions consequently diseases plagues. Moreover, compared with studies, not only covering but also fruits. energy consumption per hectare phase is similar test scenarios. related tractor use, fertilizers fungicides application main hotspots global warming, freshwater ecotoxicity eutrophication, terrestrial acidification. use electric vehicles, change warehouse location or redefine transportation routes can this impact, along optimization cherry’s quantity transported each trip. In addition, plant protection products, herbicides less will objective. For that, agriculture precision systems predict need (nutrients), fungicides, decision support define dates practices, well innovative emerging food by-products processing methods suggested. Thus, identifies quantifies impacts associated system their hotspots. It provides best-practices sustainable management contributes competitiveness sustainability companies.