Biology, Flowering and Fruiting of the Cactus Opuntia spp.: A Review and Some Observations on Three Varieties in Morocco

Abstract

The cactus is a succulent plant resistant to droughts. According to the recently reviewed classification, cacti belong to the family of Opuntiaceae Desv. (synon. Cactaceae Juss.) with Opuntia Mill. as the typical genus. This genus is economically the most important in the family, as it includes a group of cactus pear plants which play an important role in the agricultural systems of arid and semi-arid regions. Flowering of the cactus pear fruit is an important determinant of the fruit harvesting period. The goal of this paper is to present the physiology of the cactus pear and to explain in detail the biology of its flowering and fruiting processes.This study is also enriched by our observations on the flowering and fruiting of three varieties of cactus pear that we followed for two successive years in southern Morocco.

Qualitative evaluation of fruits from different Opuntia ficus‐indica ecotypes/cultivars harvested in South Portugal

“…There are many varieties of O. ficus‐indica not only obtained from their hybridization in nature but also from creation of new varieties through clonal selection. These varieties are of great worldwide economical importance (Arba, Falisse, Choukr‐Allah, & Sindic, ; Ventura‐Aguilar, Bosquez‐Molina, Bautista‐Baños, & Rivera‐Cabrera, ).…”

Undervalued potential of crassulacean acid metabolism for current and future agricultural production

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“… l Nobel and Israel, 1994; Nobel, 2002; Nobel and De la Barrera, 2003; Griffith, 2004; Stintzing and Carle, 2005; Feugang et al , 2006; Aguilera-Barreiro et al , 2013; Yang et al , 2015a; Arba et al , 2017; Inglese et al , 2017.…”

Toward unfolding the bioeconomy of nopal (Opuntia spp.)

“…Brazil leads the world in terms of hectares (600 000) dedicated to Opuntia cultivation (900 000 ha including cactus plants in the wild), whereas in Mexico the area occupied by Opuntia 's plantations currently is around 230 000 ha . This area is about 150 000 ha in Morocco and 600 000 ha in Tunisia, where scholars have recently shown that cladode juice is even a superior flocculant for urban wastewater treatment …”