2023 New Zealand

Towards use of life cycle–based indicators to support continuous improvement in the environmental performance of avocado orchards in New Zealand

Authors: Majumdar, Shreyasi; McLaren, Sarah J.

PURPOSE: A life cycle assessment (LCA) study was undertaken for the orchard stage of the NZ avocado value chain, to guide the development of indicators for facilitating continuous improvement in its environmental profile. METHODS: The functional unit (FU) was 1 kg Hass avocados produced in NZ, up to the orchard gate. The baseline model assessed avocados produced in fully productive orchards, using input data collected from 49 orchards across 281 ha in the three main avocado growing regions of

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2022 New Zealand

The effect of soil type, fruit load and shaded area on ‘Hass’ avocado (Persea americana Mill.) water use and crop coefficients

Authors: Kaneko, T.; Gould, N.; Campbell, D.; Snelgar, P.; Clearwater, M.

‘Hass’ avocado tree water use was quantified within orchards located in the three main avocado growing regions of New Zealand, from 2016 to 2019. The three regions, the Bay of Plenty, the Whangarei District and the Aupouri Peninsula in the Far North District, differ in climate and soil type (allophanic, clay, and sandy soils, respectively). At each site, local meteorological conditions were monitored, avocado tree water use was quantified using heat-pulse sap flow measurement, total leaf area

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2022 New Zealand

Carbon and water footprinting of avocado production in New Zealand

Authors: Majumdar, S.; McLaren, S.; Sorensen, S.; Siebert, B.

"The avocado sector in New Zealand is growing rapidly and is driven particularly by demand in overseas markets. To develop a better understanding of the environmental impacts associated with the New Zealand avocado supply chain, an environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was undertaken of this sector, focusing on climate change and water use.
For the carbon footprint, it was found that fertiliser production and use, and fuel use, dominated the climate change impact category for orchard activities.

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