Growth performance and carbon sequestration of poplar-based agroforestry systems in temperate plains

Abstract:

Agroforestry systems that pair fast-growing tree species with seasonal crops offer a dual benefit that neither monoculture farming nor pure forestry can match on its own: agricultural income and carbon storage operating on the same piece of land. This research quantified the growth performance, biomass production, and carbon sequestration potential of seven-year-old poplar (Populus deltoides) plantations intercropped with wheat, mustard, and turmeric at the Agriculture Campus of IGNTU, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, during 2021-2023. Sole poplar accumulated the highest tree biomass at 124.6 t/ha and total carbon stock of 58.7 t/ha. However, the poplar-wheat combination achieved the highest total system carbon sequestration rate of 10.24 t CO₂/ha/yr and a land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.32, indicating 32% greater land-use efficiency than growing trees and crops separately. Soil organic carbon in the top 30 cm was also highest under poplar-wheat (38.6 t/ha) compared to sole crops (22.4 t/ha). These results position poplar-based agroforestry as an effective land use strategy for combining food production with climate change mitigation in the temperate plains of central India.