The low forage productivity in the Brazilian semi-arid is linked to water scarcity and climatic conditions, these abiotic disturbances affect the development of livestock and the local economy. Seeking to circumvent the situation, the use of forage species adapted to climatic conditions is of paramount importance, such as forage cactus, a crop rich in nutrients, much appreciated by animals, but lacking in fiber and protein, making it necessary to use other forage plants like sorghum, millet, pigeon pea and forage sunflower, both species have high levels of fiber and protein, and with this, they complement each other and enable the production of more balanced diets for herds. However, the higher yield of crops is observed with the implementation of resilient practices such as irrigation, adoption of mulch, intercropping, which promotes more sustainable systems with high forage potential. In this review, the objective was to evaluate the use of different agronomic practices to increase the productivity and sustainability of forage cactus crops and crops of regional appeal to the Brazilian semi-arid region. It is concluded that the sustainable intensification of agricultural crops, through complementary irrigation, mulch, intercropping with forage cactus, and plant species adapted to the Brazilian semi-arid region, can promote an increase in forage production without adverse effects on ecosystems.

A baixa disponibilidade de forragem devido à escassez hídrica e o efeito das mudanças climáticas são problemas enfrentados pelos produtores rurais das regiões semiáridas. Para contornar esses efeitos, pesquisas mostram a importância da utilização de espécies que sejam adaptadas às condições ambientais. Dentre essas espécies, a palma forrageira é um importante alimento para dietas de ruminantes, de alta aceitabilidade, rico em energia e alto teor de água, além da sua implantação no campo ser de baixo custo. O milheto é uma outra espécie usada, pois apresenta tolerância aos estresses hídrico e salino, além de ser um alimento útil para suplementação junto com a palma forrageira. O emprego de práticas agrícolas como irrigação, cobertura morta e consorciação pode auxiliar no sistema de produção dessas culturas. Além disso, a aplicação de parâmetros agrometeorológicos são relevantes para garantir o melhor planejamento e a tomada de decisão agrícola. Nesta revisão, objetivou-se abordar práticas agronômicas, análises estatísticas e indicadores agrometeorológicos empregados em pesquisas voltadas às culturas da palma forrageira e do milheto em sistemas de produção. Pesquisas foram feitas nas bases bibliográficas da Scopus, ScienceDirect, Mendeley e Google Scholar. As práticas agrícolas uso mínimo de irrigação, cobertura morta e consorciação são essenciais nos sistemas de cultivo da palma forrageira e do milheto. Em conjunto ao manejo dessas culturas, o uso de indicadores agrometeorológicos atrelados à análise multivariada permite o melhor planejamento e tomada de decisão na produção.

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Estima-se que metade da superfície da Caatinga já foi modificada. A remoção da vegetação aumenta a fragilidade das terras e intensifica o processo de desertificação. Sob condições de aporte hídrico variado, a adoção de tecnologias hídricas é indicada. As características morfofisiológicas e biofísicas da palma forrageira foram investigadas neste estudo como indicativo à adequação do manejo da cultura sob diferentes tecnologias hídricas (clones, irrigação e cobertura morta). O experimento foi conduzido em blocos casualizados, com três repetições, e sob três ambientes de crescimento com uma ou mais tecnologias hídricas: RH(-) - clones sob regime hídrico inferior à normal climatológica (sequeiro); RH(+) - clones sob regime hídrico superior à normal climatológica (irrigado); e, RH(+C) - clones sob regime hídrico superior à normal climatológica (irrigado) e adoção de cobertura morta. Os clones avaliados foram: IPA Sertânia e Miúda, e Orelha de Elefante Mexicana. Medidas biométricas foram obtidas ao longo do tempo e a matéria seca na ocasião da colheita, a partir dos quais, calculou-se índices morfofisiológicos e biofísicos. Os ambientes de crescimento e sua interação com os clones afetaram apenas a magnitude do índice de distribuição dos cladódios de 5ª ordem (p < 0,05), mas foram decisivos na sazonalidade do acúmulo de matéria seca pelos clones. A maioria dos índices morfofisiológicos e biofísicos foi influenciada pelo tipo de clone (p < 0,05). Os índices biofísicos se mostram ótimas opções de substituição ou complementação dos índices morfofisiológicos quando se dispõem apenas de dados biométricos e de matéria seca da ocasião da colheita da palma forrageira.

The cultivation of adapted species (e.g., forage cactus, sorghum, millet, etc.) can provide greater forage productivity in arid and semi-arid environments. However, due to water limitations in the region, it is important to use irrigation, when well managed, it allows for greater production and provides opportunities for the insertion of intercropping crops even in dry periods. Thus, this review aimed to survey the main indices of biological efficiency, competitive ability and economic benefit in different forage species and crops, as well as the use of resilient practices that seek to increase the efficiency and sustainability of forage production in an environment semi-arid. Scientific articles in Portuguese and English from the last ten years were used, using the following platforms: Google Academic, Scielo, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science, paying attention to the quality and timeliness of the literature cited. The use of resilient agricultural practices such as irrigation, planting of adapted species, straw mulch and intercropping are of great importance for productive units in the Brazilian semi-arid region. As well as the use of indices of biological efficiency, competitive ability and economic return, which are capable of helping to determine the best configurations of intercropping crops, providing greater reliability and profitability of the agricultural chain in semi-arid regions.

The adoption of resilient strategies is crucial for improving agricultural production and optimizing water resources, especially in arid and semi‐arid areas. The aim of this study was to analyse the productivity, evapotranspiration (ET) and water use efficiency (WUE) in the production systems of forage cactus and millet under different cropping systems. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with six treatments and four replications. The treatments corresponded to the cropping systems: single cactus, single millet and a cactus–millet intercrop, with and without mulching. The soil moisture was monitored over time. ET was measured using the soil water balance. WUE was calculated for each cropping system. There was no difference in ET between production systems. WUE was significantly higher in the cactus–millet intercrops, with and without mulching (2.47 and 2.31 kg m−3, respectively). The use of 17.6 Mg ha−1 mulch under both cropping systems did not significantly reduce the ET; however, the gains in productivity afforded by intercropping the cactus and millet increased the WUE of the production system. It is concluded that adoption of the cactus–millet intercropping system can be employed using the same irrigation depth as adopted under the single‐cactus system, with the aim of optimizing water resources in dry areas.

Forage cactus cropping systems that include a combination of agricultural practices (cloning, irrigation, mulching and/or intercropping) can increase forage production and economic return in semi-arid environments. This study evaluated the effect on productivity, biological efficiency and economic return of combining different practices with forage cactus cropping systems in the semi-arid region of Brazil. The research was conducted in four experimental areas, in a randomised block design with four replications, and included the following practices: 1) clones – irrigation - cover, 2) different irrigation depths, 3) intercropping - mulching, and 4) different levels of mulch. The treatments in experiment I consisted of three cactus clones (‘Orelha de Elefante Mexicana’—OEM; ‘Miúda’—MIU and ‘IPA-Sertânia’—IPA), two water regimes (rainfed and irrigated), and two levels of mulch (with and without mulch). Experiment II comprised four irrigation depths (0, 40, 80 and 120% of the crop evapotranspiration) and three cactus clones. In experiment III, three crop arrangements (single cactus, cactus intercropped with millet, and single millet) were evaluated under two levels of mulching (with and without mulching). In experiment IV, four levels of mulch were used (0, 5, 10 and 15 Mg ha-1). The total number of cladodes per plant, fresh matter yield (YFM), dry matter yield (YDM), and final plant density were obtained when harvesting. Economic viability was assessed using the profitability index (PI). The rainfed systems showed greater yield. The use of mulch afforded greater productivity. The OEM clone (YFM = 310.76 Mg ha-1 and YDM = 29.87 Mg ha-1) obtained a higher yield than did the IPA and MIU clones. The highest PI values were achieved under the rainfed systems. The MIU and IPA clones exhibited lower PI values. The cactus-millet intercrop achieved the best performance with the use of mulch. Cactus systems of 15.0 Mg ha-1 showed a greater PI value. It was concluded that the integrated management of such practices as intercropping, mulching and the adoption of the OEM clone can increase the supply of forage. These practices can promote the sustainable intensification of forage input in Livestock Production Systems in semi-arid environments.