Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability

In a quest to revitalize degraded lands and enhance agricultural productivity, an insightful study was conducted at the Faculty of Forestry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Benhama, Ganderbal, during 2021 and 2022. The research explored the potential of fruit-based agroforestry systems to improve the growth performance of fruit trees and pulse yield. Using a randomized block design with three replications and eight treatments, rajmash (Tripash) and moong were intercropped with 4-year-old peach and apricot trees (spaced at 4m × 4m and 3m × 3m, respectively). Rajmash was sown in April and moong in June. Results indicated significant effects of agroforestry treatments on pulse growth and yield. Sole cropping produced superior growth parameters—rajmash recorded 3.79 primary branches, 12.21 pods per plant, 7.56 cm pod length, 7.65 seeds per pod, and maximum yield (1.71 t/ha). In contrast, pulse yields declined under agroforestry, with peach + moong recording the lowest (1.26 t/ha). However, fruit tree performance improved under agroforestry compared to control (only apricot), with apricot + rajmash achieving the highest fruit yield (8.01 t/ha) versus control (3.73 t/ha). The study highlights a trade-off between pulse productivity and long-term benefits such as improved soil health, biodiversity, and land resilience. While sole cropping maximized short-term pulse yield, integrating fruit trees with pulses demonstrated substantial ecological advantages, suggesting agroforestry as a viable strategy for sustainable land management and rehabilitation of degraded landscapes.