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This paper presents a novel approach to multi-criteria sustainability performance assessment of horticultural crops. The crops are ranked by the decision-making method ELECTRE IV with environmental, energy and technological criteria. In total eight indicators are taken into consideration and calculated based on primary data collected from over 260 farms in northern Iran. Additionally, Data Envelopment Analysis is used to calculate the technical efficiency and potential for energy saving by different management of the production units. The novel contribution of this study is the comparison of several horticultural products (oranges, kiwis, persimmons and tangerines), when most of the previous studies have focused on one product. Moreover, novel calculations of the carbon footprint are presented for oranges, tangerines and persimmons. This paper also includes the first study on the environmental impact of persimmon fruit's production. The obtained results show that energy efficiency for orange, tangerine, kiwi and persimmon products: 1.1, 0.84, 0.53 and 1.22, respectively. In each hectare of kiwi orchards, the amount of CO2 emissions of 1219 kg and the ecological footprint of 3.21 hectares have been calculated, which is statistically significant compared to orange, tangerine and persimmon. The chemical and fuel inputs have the greatest potential for reducing energy consumption in the studied products. Results of ELECTRE IV showed that kiwi is the most sustainable selection for the studied region followed by orange, persimmon and tangerine, respectively. Kiwi has also relatively low technical efficiency. This means that this product has the greatest potential for a reduction of energy consumption, while maintaining the same amount of crop. It is recommended to include the development of kiwi orchards in the policies of Guilan, but with more careful management of the production inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic importance of white peach scale (WPS) Pseudaulacaspis pentagona Targioni-Tozzetti, 1886 (Diaspididae: Hemiptera) is ascribed to its high reproductive potential. The number of generations per year varies in different places of the world. Seasonal population fluctuations of different life stages of WPS were studied from April 30, 2015, to April 29, 2017, on kiwi fruit trees in the Mazandaran province of Iran. In the first year the total population of P. pentagona had five peaks: April, June, August, October, and November. In the second year, the total population of P. pentagona had four peaks: May, August, October and November. The pre-adult stages had four high infestation periods in May, July, August, and October in the first season and also in the second year occurred on May, Jun, September and October. The gravid females began to appear and laying of eggs started from late March in both years. The maximum period of infestation was reached during May. Significant differences were observed among samples in different directions of the tree and most pests were found in the South. The rate of parasitization also varied with the month from 12 to 84% on branches of kiwi fruits. The highest percentage of the parasitation was observed in North and West. Thus, the present results may help in planning a successful control program of WPS on kiwi fruit trees in the Mazandaran province of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]