The Influence of Cladode Morphology on the Canopy Formation of Forage Cactus Plants

Abstract

Here we aimed to evaluate the influence of cladode morphology on the canopy formation of forage cactus plants. The study was carried out in Serra Talhada, the State of Pernambuco, using the IPA Sertânia (IPA), Miúda (MIU), and Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM) clones, which were submitted to three irrigation depths (2.5, 5.0, or 7.5 mm) and three irrigation intervals (7, 14, or 28 days) from March 2012 to August 2013. Cladode and plant canopy biometric data were obtained during the experimental period. We found that the characteristics of the second and third order cladodes contributed most to the canopy formation of clones of the genus Nopalea (IPA and MIU), whereas, for the genus Opuntia (OEM), the first and third order cladodes contributed most. Overall, we found that the influence of the cladode variables on the canopy growth of forage cactus is more associated with the characteristics of the genus than to the peculiarities of the clones.

Spatio Temporal Soil Moisture Dynamics and Runoff under Different Soil Cover Conditions in a Semiarid Representative Basin in Brazil

“…As shown, mulching efficiently protected soil surface, thus increasing infiltration rate, and enhancing soil water storage, as discussed by Montenegro et al (2013). Moreover, Brasil et al (2017) highlighted the role of Caatinga canopy in reducing rainfall drops kinetic energy and in increasing soil moisture. Even at a deciduous biome, McLaughlin et al (2013) verified the benefit of natural vegetation cover for increasing infiltration and water storage at the unsaturated zone, and enhancing evapotranspiration.…”

“…In semiarid areas, after rainfall interception, stem flow even in a deciduous vegetation with limited canopy cover can play a key role for soil moisture replenishment, enhancing infiltration and reducing hydrograph peaks. According to Brasil et al (2017), stem flow can be associated to two roughness coefficients, one linked to large scale characteristic of the Caatinga Biome, and another coefficient related to the plant leaves morphology.…”

“…Cactus are largely grown in the Brazilian semiarid, and the two main species are Opuntia ficus-indica and Nopaleacochenillifera. In Pernambuco State, the main cultivated cactus forage clones are the "Orelha de Elefante Mexicana", which belongs to the Opuntia genus, and "Miúda" and "IPA Sertânia" of genus Nopalea (Barbosa et al, 2018). The shape and morphological architecture of spineless cactus canopy, with cladodes varying in size from 0.30 to 0.50 m in height and 0.20 to 0.30 m in width affect their photosynthetic capacity (Silva et al, 2015), and also might constitute promising vegetative barriers, slowing and ponding runoff in sloped areas, hence controlling soil erosion.…”

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

“…Although it belongs to the same genus as MIU, IPA had the lowest TNC, showing no difference to the OEM clone. The distribution, size and number of cladodes determine the architecture of the plant, affecting the photosynthetic capacity of the crop and thereby its productivity (Pinheiro et al 2014;Barbosa et al 2018).…”

“…Araújo Júnior et al the crop. 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).…”