ABSTRACT
Horticulture-based agroforestry (AF) has played a multifarious role in production (timber, fuelwood, nutritive fruits, pasture/fodder, etc.) and protection of the environment through carbon sequestration to mitigate ongoing climate change problem for better well-being of mankind. Different type of models under horticulture-based agroforestry viz., agrihorticultural system, agrihortisilviculture, hortipasture, etc. are playing a very diverse role in production potential, upliftments of marginal and degraded land (through the incorporation of the hortipasture system), economic benefits and national food and nutritional security. Growth and productivity of AF components vary due to nature and arrangement of trees (including fruit trees), agricultural crops and pastures/animals. Moreover, horticulture-based agroforestry plays a pivotal role in potential carbon 68storage in tree biomass and in the soil in addition to soil nutrient pool. Overall, horticulture-based agroforestry is very profitable in the context of productivity, improvement of soil physicochemical properties, nutrition management, food security, and environmental sustainability and there should be further research and developmental activities in this direction for the betterment of the whole agroecosystem.
