Energy balance, water use indices, and GHG footprint of artichoke cultivars grown in different regions of Italy

Italy is the world’s largest artichoke producer. Because efforts to improve artichoke output result in overapplication of agricultural inputs, an energy and water balance assessment can help highlight the system’s resilience and productivity. This study investigated the energy efficiency, water consumption indices, and carbon footprint of three artichoke cultivars: ‘Violetto di Provenza’ cultivated in Foggia Province, ‘Brindisino’ grown in Brindisi Province, and ‘Romanesco’ grown in the Lazio region. The energy input ranged from 67,614 to 90,276 MJ ha-1, with a mean of 75,111 MJ ha-1. With average contributions of 33, 28, and 24%, seeds, irrigation, and chemical fertilizers was the most energy-intensive sources. Artichoke cultivars are all negatively impacted by their indirect and non-renewable energy sources. Water-energy efficiency, water productivity, and water intensity averaged 10.79, 3.44 kg m-3, and 0.34 m3 kg-1, respectively. The values for carbon footprint ranged from 340 to 616 kg CO2-eq t-1 or GHG emission intensity of 6,452.8 to 8,008.4 kg CO2-eq ha-1. The Romanesco performed better across all energy and water use indicators. In terms of GHG footprint, Romanesco had the highest production efficiency while Brindisino had the highest environmental intensity. To improve artichoke productivity and sustainability, irrigation management, chemical inputs, and efficient seed production need to be reassessed.