Assessing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in Cretan vineyards for the development of a crop-specific decision support tool

Energy use analysis and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are among the most important aspects regarding the sustainability performance of a farming system. The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impact, in terms of energy consumption and GHG emissions in thirty vineyards located on Crete, Greece, and deliver a digital, decision support tool (DST). A simplified life cycle approach was used to collect data from the vineyards up to farm gate, located in the top wine-producing Cretan municipalities, regarding farming practices, inputs, and yield for a 2-year period. Sum energy and non-renewable energy intensity and efficiency were calculated. GHG emissions were estimated in terms of CO2 equivalents, following IPCC methodology, while the emissions intensity is also reported. Fossil fuels consumed by machinery for weed management, transportation, soil management, pest control, and synthetic fertilizers were the practices found to be accountable for the higher energy consumption. Synthetic fertilizers and fossil fuel consumption were the main sources of GHG emissions, followed by burning of the pruning residues. Omitting burning pruning residues, reducing tillage intensity, and replacing mechanical weed management are highlighted as the main practices that can improve the sustainability of viticulture on Crete. Making use of the collected data, a crop-specific DST, named "ECO2VINE", for calculating a vineyard's energy use and GHG emissions was developed, validated, and made publicly available.