Objective As characteristic fruits in China, hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) and cherry (Prunus pseudocerasus) play a pivotal role in the fruit industry. Carbon footprint serves as a critical metric for quantitatively assessing the potential impact of production processes on climate change. Analyzing the carbon footprint composition of hawthorn and cherry production is essential for promoting green and low-carbon development within the fruit industry and cultivation regions.

Method This study utilized survey data from hawthorn and cherry orchards in Jiang County, Shanxi Province of northern China, to evaluate their carbon footprints from cradle to gate based on the life cycle assessment method, analyzed low-carbon advantages of different areas using carbon economic efficiency index, and explored the mitigation potential in hawthorn and cherry orchards.

Result (1) The carbon footprints per unit area of hawthorn and cherry were 6.93 and 8.62 t/hm², respectively, while the carbon footprints per unit yield were 0.23 and 0.57 t/t. Variations in urea and organic fertilizer application, as well as planting area, resulted in significant regional differences in carbon footprints per unit area. (2) Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from fertilization accounted for 36.60%–65.34% of the per-unit-area carbon footprint, representing the dominant source in both hawthorn and cherry production. (3) The carbon footprints per unit yield exhibited a negative correlation with the carbon emission efficiency. Regions with lower carbon footprints per unit yield demonstrated higher carbon emission efficiency and greater low-carbon advantages. (4) Under four simulated scenarios, the integrated implementation of green fertilizer blending, optimized irrigation practices, and renewable energy technologies reduced emissions by 77.06% and 77.72% for hawthorn and cherry, respectively.

Conclusion In the cultivation of hawthorn and cherry, the carbon footprints per unit area and the carbon footprints per unit yield of cherry were significantly higher than those of hawthorn. Fertilizer application is the main component of the carbon footprint of cherry and hawthorn orchards, and the carbon footprints per unit yield is negatively correlated with the carbon emission efficiency. Through a series of emission reduction measures, hawthorn and cherry orchards have the potential to achieve carbon neutrality.