Enhancing pinto bean planting systems: A multi-objective genetic algorithm approach for evaluating energy efficiency and environmental impact

Bean planting systems are vital in agriculture, especially since beans are a key food source worldwide. Optimizing these systems is essential to improve efficiency and lessen environmental impacts. A study compared flat and strip planting systems for pinto beans, focusing on energy inputs/outputs, environmental effects, and productivity. Energy consumption was measured in MJ ha^-1: the flat system used 20,067.12 MJ ha^-1, while the strip system used 18,171.76 MJ ha^-1, indicating the latter’s lower energy demand. In terms of output, the flat system produced 3000 kg per hectare (60,000 MJ ha^-1), whereas the strip system yielded 3500 kg (70,000 MJ ha^-1). This highlights that the strip system offers higher productivity with better energy efficiency. Cost analysis showed that producing a ton of pinto beans costs 180.36 USD2013 per ton in the flat system but only 140.31 USD2013 per ton in the strip system, making the latter more economical. Environmental assessments suggest that the strip system has fewer negative impacts on human health and ecosystems, as evidenced by metrics like DALYs and species diversity. Data indicates that the strip planting system consumes less energy overall while providing greater yields, resulting in superior efficiency and net energy gain. Based on these findings, shifting to strip planting could enhance sustainability, reduce resource use, and improve economic outcomes for growers. Overall, the study recommends adopting strip planting for more efficient, eco-friendly bean production.