Productive-Economic Benefit of Forage Cactus-Sorghum Intercropping Systems Irrigated With Saline Water

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive and economic performance of a forage cactus and sorghum intercropping system in relation to a forage cactus single cropping system under different irrigation blades with saline water. The study was conducted in Serra Talhada, State of Pernambuco, in a randomized block design, consisting of a factorial arrangement with split-plot parcels (5×2) and four replications. The five plots were the irrigation depths based on the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) (0, 8.75, 17.5, 26.25, and 35% ETo) and the two cropping systems were single forage cactus cropping and cactus intercropped with sorghum. The experiment was conducted for one year, with one forage cactus cycle and two cycles of sorghum. Yields were obtained at the end of the cycles. Economic profitability was analyzed by means of net revenue (NR) and the benefit/cost ratio (B/C), with cactus forage sold as forage or as "seed" and sorghum as forage. Net revenue and B/C simulations were carried out over an eight-year useful life span of the irrigation system. Increasing irrigation depth increased the dry matter yield of the intercropping system because of higher sorghum yield. Based on the NR and B/C ratio values, forage cactus and sorghum produced as forage produced higher economic outcomes in the intercropping system and showed a higher profitability from the 2nd year of implementation of the irrigation system. Forage cactus and sorghum intercropping irrigated with saline water is therefore recommended for forage production in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

Productivity, bromatological composition and economic benefits of using irrigation in the forage cactus under regulated deficit irrigation in a semiarid environment

“…In order to analyse the economic benefits resulting from the use of regulated deficit irrigation strategy, a survey of the cost of the equipment was made (pipes, drip tapes, connections, motor-pump and filter set), in addition to the planting costs (preparation of the area, fertilisation, acquisition of the cladodes and labour), giving the total expenditure for setting up the project in an area of one hectare. The fixed costs for depreciation of the components of the irrigation system (CD) and of the interest on investment capital (IC) were calculated, in addition to the variable costs for electricity (EEC), labour (LC) and maintenance of the system components, as per Dantas et al (2017) and Lima et al (2018). Revenue was calculated based on selling the cactus for forage or planting, using the expressions:…”

“…Controlled water regimes in the forage cactus GRsf = Y.valueY GRsc = (NP.TNC).valueC where, GR sf = gross revenue resulting from selling the cactus for forage (US$); Y = crop yield (Mg•ha -1 ); valueY = crop yield value (US$ •Mg -1 ) considering US$ 36.31 per Mg; GR sc = gross revenue resulting from sale of the cladodes for planting (US$); NP = number of plants per hectare; TNC = total number of cladodes (unit); and valueC = value per cladode (US$•unit -1 ), considering US$ 0.073 for the OEM clone, US$ 0.06 for the IPA clone and US$ 0.036 for the MIU clone. Net revenues were calculated using the equations (Dantas et al 2017;Lima et al 2018):…”

“…These species are usually grown under rain-fed conditions, as they are well-adapted to water deficit (Alves et al 2017;Barbosa et al 2018). However, critical water regimes can cause changes in the growth and development of the cactus, which affects the production and nutritional value of the forage, but depend on the type of clone (Silva et al 2015a;Lima et al 2018).…”

“…The use of irrigation in cultivating the cactus in semiarid environments has been reported by several authors (Lima et al 2016;Morais et al 2017). According to Lima et al (2018), irrigation in a production system depends on the agroeconomic performance, which is based on productive response, net revenue and economic viability.…”

Gas exchanges and water-use efficiency of Nopalea cochenillifera intercropped under edaphic practices

“…Nopalea forage cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck) is the main xerophilic species cultivated in Brazil, being an essential food source for cattle, sheep, and goat herds in the semiarid region, especially in the dry season (Lima et al, 2018). Ramos et al (2017) highlight that this crop is highly incorporated into the productive process of the region, being essential for the maintenance of yield and animal support capacity, especially in small rural properties, which constitute the majority of properties in the semiarid region.…”