Integrated Horticultural Practices for Improving Apple Supply Chain Sustainability: A Case Study in the North China Plain

Abstract

Apple production provides smallholders with low economic benefits, while high environmental emissions limit the sustainability of the apple supply chain. Furthermore, coordination to achieve greater economic benefits and environmental protection, thereby improving the sustainability of the apple supply chain, remains underdeveloped. Here, we have analyzed the current status of the economic benefits and environmental emissions of the apple production process and explored the level of collaboration within the apple supply chain, based on an analysis of farmer horticultural practices for high production, high economic benefit, and low environmental emissions, in combination with substance flow analysis. Our study showed that compared with traditional practice, high-yielding, high-efficiency practice allowed fruit yield, partial productivity of nitrogen fertilizer, and economic benefit to increase by 33%, 61% and 49%, respectively, while soil nitrogen residue levels decreased by 13%. The improvement and adoption of technology in the apple-planting process significantly improved the sustainability of the apple supply chain: the economic benefit increased by 63%, while the nitrogen footprint decreased by approximately 68%. Additionally, the application of integrated nutrient management technology in the apple planting process significantly improved the sustainability of apple production, thereby synergistically improving the economic and environmental impact of the apple supply chain.

Regional differences and threshold effects of labor transfer affecting the technical efficiency of China’s agricultural industry: A case study of the apple industry

“…We initially used SFA to analyze the technical efficiency of China’s main apple-producing areas [ 27 , 28 ]; one output index and three input indexes were used for measurement. Among them, the index of apple output was the average yield per hectare in each area, and the index of apple production input was the material and service cost, labor cost, and land cost per hectare [ 29 , 30 ]. Material costs mainly include mechanical operation, fertilizer, pesticide, drainage, and irrigation costs.…”

“…them, the index of apple output was the average yield per hectare in each area, and the index of apple production input was the material and service cost, labor cost, and land cost per hectare [29,30]. Material costs mainly include mechanical operation, fertilizer, pesticide, drainage, and irrigation costs.…”

Study on the quality indicators of apple varieties grown at low level under-grafted M-9

“…To do this, 200 randomly selected fruit samples taken from each section were divided into varieties. Field experiments, biochemical laboratory analysis, as well as production tests on selection of apple varieties for intensive orchards were carried out in the following generally accepted methods in horticulture [14,15]. In biochemical analysis, the dry matter was determined on a refractometer, the total sugar content was determined by the method recommended by Bertrand acidity (titration) [16].…”