Life Cycle Assessment of Fertilizer Use for Tomato Production in Greenhouses in Antalya Province

Nowadays, the fertilizer usage is seen as an essential agriculture technology. Among the vegetables produced in greenhouses, the tomato is the most important vegetable in chemical fertilizer usage per unit, during the production period. While physical total of fertilizer consumption is calculated as 287.5 kg ha-1 for Turkey, it is 344 kg ha-1 for Antalya; on drug substance (N, P2O5, K2O) basis fertilizer consumption is calculated as 113.5 kg ha-1 for Turkey and it is 137.5 kg ha-1 for Antalya. The objective of this study is to explain the environmental effects of chemical fertilizers being used in greenhouse tomato production in Antalya Province, by classifying them. For this reason, a survey has been carried out which is based on face to face interviews with 148 greenhouse farmers who were chosen by stratified random sampling and who are dealing with greenhouse tomato production in Antalya Province. With the data obtained from the producers, the total fertilizer consumption has been recorded. Afterwards, the fertilizers in itself has been classified according to its contents of N, P, P2O5, K, K2Oand the available nutrient element ratios have been calculated according to the periodic table and the fertilizer formulation. Life Cycle Analysis has been applied with the separated data and as per analysis result; it has been found that the most important effects to the environment appear in global warming, depletion of abiotic sources, eutrophication and acidification categories respectively.