The carbon footprint and ecological costs of citrus production in China are going down

China is the largest producer of citrus, while the potential for reducing carbon footprint (CF) and ecological costs through enhanced management practices is rarely quantified. We quantified the CF and ecological costs of citrus production using the data collected from 3525 questionnaires in 2015 and 2023. We found 12.5% increment in citrus yield (per unit area), and 20.6% and 65.0% decrement in fertilizer and pesticide inputs, while 78.8% increment in compost inputs during this period due to various management practice applications, including fertilizer reduction, organic fertilizer instead of inorganic fertilizer and green pest control. The CF and ecological costs were reduced by 53.3% and 25.0% due to these practices' application. By further adopting RAF50, a scenario combining the recommended fertilization amount of citrus with organic-N replaces 50% of inorganic-N, we predict the CF and ecological costs of China's citrus production will decrease by 67.9% and 37.5% in 2060. This will make a huge contribution to promote sustainable agricultural development and carbon neutrality in China.