Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) Standards for Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller 'Rojo Pelón' Fruiting

Abstract

In this study, the aim was to develop the compositional nutrient diagnosis (CND) norms for Opuntia ficus indica variety 'Rojo Pelón’ fruiting. Statistical analyses involved a dataset of fruit yield and macro-nutrient concentrations of 228 1-year old cladodes from healthy plants. A cutoff yield (1,166.67 g cladode-1) between the low- and high-yield subpopulations was determined after examining six cumulative variance ratio functions related to yield per 1-year old cladode. Means and standard deviations of row-centered log-ratios of five nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and a filling value Rd, which includes all nutrients not chemically analyzed. Estimated preliminary CND norms (mean ± standard deviation of the row-centered log-ratios) are: = ?1.114 ± 0.219, = ?2.194 ±0.076, = 0.163 ± 0.259, = ?0.708 ± 0.157, = 0.401 ± 0.100, and = 3.452 ± 0.095. These CND standards are associated with the following 1-year old fruiting cladode mean concentrations: N=0.958%, P=0.318%, K=3.507%, Ca=4.228%, and Mg=1.448%. Then, the order of macro-nutrient requirements is as follows: Ca>K>Mg>N>P.

Do macro-nutrient balanced compositions in a subspace of the ionome of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller maximize fruiting?

“…So, we were able to identify two groups of compositions (balanced, and imbalanced) separated by an M value as the optimal predictor delimiter. Later, the sample was divided into high-and low-yielding groups considering the target yield (1166.67 g Cladode −1 ) as calculated through the Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) approach; it was proposed by Vidal-Hernández et al (2021b).…”

“…Recently, macro-nutrient norms for O. ficus-indica (L.) Miller variety 'Rojo Pelón' fruiting were estimated employing the Boundary-Line Approach (B-LA) by Hernández-Vidal et al (2021a); the estimated optimum concentrations were N = 10.2 g kg −1 , P = 3.04 g kg −1 , K = 35.18 g kg −1 , Ca = 36.65 g kg −1 , and Mg = 13.83 g kg −1 as linked to maximum fruit yield that varies between 1901.13 and 1984.41 g cladode −1 . Moreover, O. ficus-indica (L.) Miller variety 'Rojo Pelón' fruiting Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) norms were proposed by Hernández-Vidal et al (2021b); these CND standards are associated with the following 1-year-old fruiting cladode mean concentrations: N = 9.58 g kg −1 , P = 3.18 g kg −1 , K = 35.07 g kg −1 , Ca = 42.28 g kg −1 , and Mg = 14.48 g kg −1 . These last findings mean that both nutrient storage (at the plant and cladode levels), and best-fit plant nutrient requirements for O. ficus-indica fruiting had been remaining unknown practically (Inglese et al, 1995) until a very short time ago.…”