Impact of irrigation during flowering and fruit growth on fruit yield and quality of the cactus Opuntia spp.

Abstract

<p>Most plantations of cactus pear are not irrigated in Morocco and fruits are tiny. The impacts of irrigation during flowering (FLO) and fruit growth (FRG) on fruit yield and quality were monitored along two years on three varieties of cactus pear. In 2011, irrigation treatments were: T1 (0 mm), T2 (30 mm during FLO and 30 mm during FRG) and T3 (30 mm during FRG only). In 2012, irrigation treatments increased to 60 mm during FLO and FRG. The irrigation treatments were applied in 8 (T3) or 16 (T2) watering, once every three days. Interactions between varieties and treatments were significant for fruit yields and for yield components. In 2011, T2 and T3 irrigations had a negative effect on ‘Aissa’ and ‘Moussa’ (-2.8 kg/plant) and T2 had a positive effect on ‘Achefri’ (+2.7 kg/plant). Fruit quality was not affected by irrigation. In 2012, all the varieties responded positively to irrigation: ‘Achefri’ and ‘Aissa’ yielded very significantly more with T3 (plus 63 % and 30 % resp.) and ‘Moussa’ with T2 (+30 %). All irrigations increased fruit number and size. Irrigation had no significant effect on the fruit quality or slightly decreased the content of total sugars and titratable acidity</p>

Effect of removing the spring flush and irrigation on the reflowering and late ripening of cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.

“…Interaction of the two factors had no significant effect (p ≥ 0.05) on the content of sugars in the fruits. Several authors also reported that the fruits of SP are tastier and sweeter than the fruits of NSP (Barbera & Inglese, 1993;Mulas, 1997;Ochoa et al, 2009;Anonymous, 2015), and other authors indicated that irrigation decreases the rate of sugars in the juice due to dilution and increases the content of juice in the fruits (Felker et al, 2002;Barbara, 2007;Arba, 2017;Arba et al, 2021). The scozzolatura practice and rrigation also have significant effect (p ≤ 0,001) on the content of citric acid in the fruits and on the pH of juice.…”