<i>Orelha de Elefante Mexicana</i> (<i>Opuntia stricta</i> [Haw.] Haw.) spineless cactus as an option in crossbred dairy cattle diet

Abstract

A new genotype of spineless cactus is being used in the diets of dairy cattle that are raised in semiarid regions. However, little is known about its nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing Miúda (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm Dyck) with Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw.) spineless cactus, on nutrient intake and digestibility, milk yield and composition, feeding behaviour, microbial protein synthesis, nitrogen balance, and ruminal and blood parameters of dairy cows. Ten Girolando cows, 500 ± 51.6 kg bodyweight, were distributed in a double Latin square design 5 x 5. The treatments consisted of replacement levels of Miúda (MIU) by Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM) at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%. The intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM) (14.38-12.95 kg d ) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) (9.38-7.92 kg d ) increased linearly. Thus, OEM could replace 100% MIU in diets with 48% of spineless cactus, for crossbred lactating cows with 12.5 kg d -1 milk yield. Therefore, OEM is a viable new option for producing milk in smallholder livestock systems in semi-arid regions. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Nutritional and performance viability of cactus Opuntia-based diets with different concentrate levels for Girolando lactating dairy cows

“…Based on this assumption and considering that the cows did not se lected the feeds, it was clear the inhibitory effect of DM intake for the genotype of cactus Opuntia. [5,7] also observed this effect. Nevertheless, in data presented by Monteiro et al [20], this effect was not observed.…”

“…cladodes (Nopalea) in re lation to other genotypes mainly when compared to the cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw cladodes (Opuntia) was already observed [5]. However, from the agronomic point of view, the cactus Opuntia has present ed less demand of nutrients, it has been more tolerant to the conditions of hydric stress and it has also presented a higher production of dry matter per unit area (37 t of DM/ha/2 yr) than cactus Nopalea (21 t of DM/ha/2 yr) [6], sparking more interest in its insertion in the feeding of dairy cows in the semiarid.…”

Intake, digestibility, and performance of lambs fed spineless cactus cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana

“…The use of resistant genotypes has become a necessary strategy as an alternative to the utilization of spineless cactus in regions that are susceptible to this pest, with an emphasis on two cultivars: Miúda (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm Dyck) and Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM, Opuntia spp.) [5].…”

“…Although some benefits of feeding small ruminants spineless cactus are already known [1,[4][5][6], responses to the use of carmine cochineal-resistant genotypes are still limited, especially for Orelha de Elefante Mexicana. The chemical composition and, therefore, the nutritive value of the spineless cactus, can be influenced by several factors, including the species and genotype [7].…”

Metabolic profile and renal function of lambs fed with maniçoba hay replacement by spineless cactus

“…The spineless cactus (Napolea cochenillifera Salm Dyck) is an important forage for livestock in Brazilian semi-arid regions. It has adaptive agronomic characteristics, such as being tolerant to hydric stress (SILVA et al, 2018), and being suitable as forage in diets for sheep (CARDOSO et al, 2019;MACIEL et al, 2019b). Spineless cactus, regardless of genus (Opuntia or Nopalea), has high levels of non-fibrous carbohydrates and water, constituting an important food resource for arid and semi-arid zones of the world (BATISTA et al, 2003;COSTA et al, 2009).…”