A study by the University of Nottingham, UK, found that organic production of two crops produced a higher carbon footprint than conventional production.
The study found that in both winter wheat and potatoes, organic weed control methods not only left a higher carbon footprint than conventional weed control, but also raised the financial costs of weed control per tonne of output.
Dr. Paul Wilson, associate professor of management and director of agriculture and environmental science and Dr. Debbie Sparkes, lecturer in agronomy at the University, told BCPC that the carbon footprint of weed control in conventional wheat production lies in the range 16.25 to 16.78 kg CO2 per tonne, compared to 48.95 to 58.68 kg CO2 per tonne for weed control in organic wheat production.
For weed control in conventional potatoes, carbon emissions range from 0.74 to 1.11 kg CO2 oer tonne, while in organic potatoes, emissions range from 3.81 kg CO2 per tonne (inter-row cultivation) to 10.03 kg CO2 per tonne (flame weeding).
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