Climate change mitigation potential of fruit orchards in the mid-hills of the Indian Himalayas

While fruit orchards contribute to carbon sequestration, limited data exist on their overall role in climate change mitigation, particularly in terms of carbon footprint. The present study (2023-2024) was conducted in the mid-hill temperate agroclimatic zone of Himachal Pradesh to assess the climate change mitigation potential of high-density apple and conventional peach, plum, and apricot orchards. For biomass estimation, a semi-destructive method was employed, while for carbon footprint pretested questionnaire was used to collect information regarding agricultural inputs. The carbon stock of different agroecosystems ranged from 32.16 to 63.94 Mg C ha^-1, which was highest for apple (55.56), followed by peach (40.67), apricot (36.31), and plum (33). Among management practices, fertilizers, pesticides, fuel consumption, and pruned residue burning were identified as the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The farm carbon footprint of selected agroecosystems varied from 9.11 to 19.05 Mg CO₂eq ha^-1, with the mean values exhibiting the trend: apple (17.68) > peach (11.78) > apricot (9.75) > plum (9.68). The climate change mitigation potential ranged from 108.91 to 215.62 Mg CO₂ ha^-1, and on average, followed the order: apple (184.16) > peach (137.78) > apricot (123.91) > plum (111.96). Notably, the potential was greater in the 14-16-year-olds than in the 7-9-year-old orchards. Linear regression equations developed between age and carbon stock projected that apricot crops would accumulate the maximum carbon stock throughout their lifespan (55.09 kg C plant^-1), while high-density apple crops would sequester the least (20.5 kg C plant^-1). The study indicated that high-density apple orchards exhibited high short-term climate change mitigation potential due to elevated carbon sequestration rates per hectare; however, their input-intensive management resulted in higher carbon footprints, indicating trade-offs for long-term resilience. In contrast, conventional apricot orchards, characterized by lower external inputs, longer lifespan, and sustained biomass accumulation, provided stable carbon benefits over time with lower emissions, underscoring their importance as climate-resilient orchard systems.