TRANSACTIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGIES
Institute of Molecular Biology, Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan
TRANSACTIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGIES
Institute of Molecular Biology, Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Department of Agronomy, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
For correspondence: zainulsajjad.edu@gmail.com
Zain ul Sajjad: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8354-8134
The challenge of significantly increasing food demand while reducing greenhouse gas emissions represents a two-pronged challenge for sorghum production, but the relationship between agronomic intensity and carbon efficiency remains unresolved. The absence of integrated multi-season analyses limits the development of climate-smart management strategies. In this research paper, the researcher examined the impact of graded input levels on grain yield, biomass production, and the carbon footprint of sorghum under semi-arid conditions. A randomized complete block experiment was conducted across two consecutive growing seasons using low-, medium-, and high-input regimes, and fertilizer consumption, mechanization, and agrochemical inputs were measured. The absolute and yield-scaled carbon footprints were calculated using life cycle assessment, and linear mixed-effects models were employed to study treatment effects across seasons. Intensification increased grain yield (3.12 to 5.44 t ha⁻¹) and above-ground biomass (7.73 to 13.63 t ha⁻¹) significantly (p < 0.001), whereas absolute carbon emissions increased from 891 to 1645 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹. The carbon footprint scaled by yield remained relatively constant at 286–303 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹, indicating a structural relationship between biomass formation and emissions. These results indicate that intensification shifts the production curve along a predictable yield-emission trajectory without altering carbon efficiency, offering practical conclusions for sustainable intensification practices in semi-arid cereal production.
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Received: March 06, 2026; Reviewed: May 23, 2026; Accepted: June 05, 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62088/timbb/10.1.4Keywords:
Sorghum, carbon footprint, yield-scaled emissions, agronomic intensification, life cycle assessment, biomass production, sustainable agriculture
Sajjad Z. (2026). Carbon footprint-yield relationships in sorghum as influenced by agronomic input intensity. TIMBB, 10 (2), 28-40.