Opuntia Forage Production Systems: Status and Prospects for Rangeland Application

This paper reports recent findings in Opuntia genetics, nutrient fertilization, and cultivation with promise to overcome limitations for Opuntia-based forage production systems. The essentially spineless, fast-growing Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. has been planted on millions of hectares for forag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Rangeland ecology & management 2009-09, Vol.62 (5), p.428-434
Main Authors: Guevara, J. C., Suassuna, P., Felker, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal health
animal injuries
Cactus
Cattle
Cladodes
Climate change
cold hardiness
Cold tolerance
crude protein
cultivars
cultural practices
Drought
dry matter accumulation
economic feasibility
esophagus
feeding preferences
Fertilization
Fertilizers
Forage
forage crops
foraging
Forum
Fossil fuels
Herbivores
Internal rate of return
literature reviews
Livestock
mouth
nitrogen
nutritive value
Opportunity costs
Opuntia
Opuntia ellisiana
Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri
Opuntia ficus-indica
plant nutrition
plant spines
plant-water relations
Plantations
Plants
Productivity
Professional associations
progeny
protein content
Rain
Range management
rangelands
Vitamin A
water use efficiency
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Summary:This paper reports recent findings in Opuntia genetics, nutrient fertilization, and cultivation with promise to overcome limitations for Opuntia-based forage production systems. The essentially spineless, fast-growing Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. has been planted on millions of hectares for forage in tropical areas of Brazil and North Africa. The spiny, cold-hardy Opuntia species have been used for forage in Mexico and the southwestern United States, after the cladodes have been chopped or singed to remove the spines. Due to the recent increases in fuel prices, burning of the spines is more costly. Where only spiny varieties exist, some range animals forage on them without manipulation. As a result, spines frequently penetrate and form lesions on mouth and esophageal tissues, leading to serious health issues. Slow growth and low protein (ca. 5%) of the native Opuntia spiny species on nonfertilized rangeland is an impediment to greater use of Opuntia for forage. The only spineless species adaptable to US Department of Agriculture cold hardiness zones
ISSN:1550-7424
1551-5028
1551-5028
DOI:10.2111/08-226.1