Cactus (Opuntia spp.) as Forage

FAO PLANT PRODUCTION AND PROTECTION PAPER 169
   
Table of Contents

Edited by
Candelario Mondragón-Jacobo
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias (INIFAP)
México
and
Salvador Pérez-González
Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
México

Coordinated for FAO by
Enrique Arias,
Horticultural Crops Group
Stephen G. Reynolds,
Grassland and Pasture Crops Group
FAO Plant Production and Protection Division
and
Manuel D. Sánchez,
Feed Resources Group
FAO Animal Production and Health Division

Produced within the framework of the
FAO International Technical Cooperation Network
on Cactus Pear

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome 2001

The designations “developed” and “developing” economies are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country, country territory or area in the development process.

The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or of their affiliated organization(s).

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

ISBN: 92-5-104705-7

ISSN 0259-2517

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Information Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.

© FAO 2001

Table of Contents

FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

GENERAL BACKGROUND ON OPUNTIA
BOTANY
TERMINOLOGY
CACTUSNET
OPUNTIA USE AS FORAGE
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
PURPOSE OF THE BOOK

HISTORY OF THE USE OF OPUNTIA AS FORAGE IN MEXICO

INTRODUCTION
ORIGIN
DISTRIBUTION
COLONIAL MEXICO

Description of the opuntia plant
Propagation
Livestock raising
Forage

INDEPENDENT MEXICO

Livestock husbandry
The forage

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF OPUNTIA IN MEXICO

Forage
Opuntia production

ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA

INTRODUCTION
DAILY GAS EXCHANGE
WATER-USE EFFICIENCY
WATER RELATIONS
TEMPERATURE RELATIONS
LIGHT RELATIONS
NUTRIENT RELATIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CO2
PREDICTED PRODUCTIVITIES
COMPARISONS WITH OTHER SPECIES
CONCLUSIONS

GERMPLASM RESOURCES AND BREEDING OPUNTIA FOR FODDER PRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BREEDING
OPUNTIA BREEDING TECHNIQUES
LIMITATIONS TO BREEDING
GERMPLASM RESOURCES

Wild stock
Backyard sources

EARLY ATTEMPTS AT BREEDING OPUNTIA FOR FODDER

The improved Mexican cultivars
The ‘Palmas of Brazil’
The spineless Burbank selections in South Africa

ACTIVE BREEDING PROGRAMMES
BREEDING GOALS

Cold tolerance
Spineless pads
Plant productivity
High protein content
Pest and disease tolerance

IMPROVED OPUNTIA CULTIVARS BEYOND 2000

PRODUCTION AND USE OF OPUNTIA AS FORAGE IN NORTHERN MEXICO

OPUNTIA IN NORTHERN MEXICO
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF NOPALERAS
DISTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN FORAGE SPECIES
PRODUCTION

Wild stands
Cultivated nopaleras

HARVESTING SYSTEMS
CONSUMPTION BY ANIMALS
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
OPUNTIA AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Meat production
Milk production
Sheep
Other animals

PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

OPUNTIA AS FODDER IN THE SEMI-ARID NORTHEAST OF BRAZIL

INTRODUCTION
CHARACTERIZATION OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Planting density
Crop management
Soil preparation
Cutting height
Species comparison
Environmental constraints
Shading by mesquite (Prosopis juliflora)
Pests and diseases
Weed control
Economic evaluation

NUTRITIVE VALUE STUDIES
COMPARISON WITH OTHER FORAGES
COMPARISON AMONG CULTIVARS
STORAGE EFFECT
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

UTILIZATION OF OPUNTIA FOR FORAGE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

INTRODUCTION
NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES AND SUPPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
METHODS TO INCREASE THE PROTEIN CONTENT OF CACTUS FORAGE
PLANTING, CULTIVATION, FERTILIZATION AND CARE
THORNLESS VERSUS THORNY CACTUS FORAGE VARIETIES
COMPARISON OF CACTUS WITH HAY
CONCLUSIONS

OPUNTIA AS FEED FOR RUMINANTS IN CHILE

INTRODUCTION
CULTIVATION OF FORAGE OPUNTIA

Climate
Water requirement
Planting
Productivity

NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF FORAGE OPUNTIA
EFFICIENCY OF WATER UTILIZATION IN DRYLAND ZONES
INTEGRATION OF CACTUS WITH OTHER NATURAL FEED RESOURCES OF ARID ZONES

OPUNTIA SPP. FOR FODDER AND FORAGE PRODUCTION IN ARGENTINA: EXPERIENCES AND PROSPECTS

INTRODUCTION
BIOCLIMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF THE ARID AND SEMI-ARID ZONES
MAIN CONSTRAINTS FOR CACTUS PLANTATIONS

Temperature
Rainfall
Land tenure

ABOVE-GROUND BIOMASS PRODUCTIVITY
MICROPROPAGATION OF OPUNTIA ELLISIANA
ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF FORAGE OPUNTIA PLANTATIONS

Cattle production
Goats for meat production

PROSPECTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

OPUNTIA SPP. - A STRATEGIC FODDER AND EFFICIENT TOOL TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION IN THE WANA REGION

INTRODUCTION
IMPORTANCE OF CACTI IN ARID ZONES
CACTI AS A FODDER BANK
USE OF CACTI AGAINST DESERTIFICATION IN NORTH AFRICA
USE OF CACTI AS FODDER

Chemical composition
Digestibility

EFFECT OF FEEDING CACTUS ON RUMEN FERMENTATION PATTERN

Rumen pH
Ammonia concentration
Volatile fatty acids
Protozoa counts
Cellulolytic activity
Intake

CACTUS FEEDING HELPS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF WATERING ANIMALS IN ARID ENVIRONMENTS

Energy content

SOME PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
STORAGE
GRAZING VERSUS CUT-AND-CARRY
SPINES
LAXATIVE EFFECTS - EASY TO SOLVE
INTEGRATION OF CACTI WITH OTHER ARID ZONES FEED RESOURCES

Example 1. Poor quality roughages supplemented with opuntia
Example 2. Atriplex as a nitrogen supplement to cactus
Example 3. Can acacia supplement cactus?

CONCLUSIONS

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA AS A RUMINANT FEED IN ETHIOPIA

INTRODUCTION
ECOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION AND UTILIZATION OF OPUNTIA IN ETHIOPIA
NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA
ANALYSIS OF ETHIOPIAN OPUNTIA

Dry matter, ash and mineral content determinations
Mineral composition
Chemical composition
In vitro dry matter digestibility

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

CP content
Crude fibre content
Nitrogen-free extract content
In vitro dry matter digestibility

CONCLUSIONS

THE USE OF OPUNTIA AS A FODDER SOURCE IN ARID AREAS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

INTRODUCTION
CLIMATE
OPUNTIA CULTIVATION
WATER REQUIREMENT AND USE
PRODUCTION
CROP MANAGEMENT
UTILIZATION

Grazing
Chaffing
Meal
Silage
Supplementary feeding

LAXATIVE ACTION

CULTIVATION OF OPUNTIA FOR FODDER PRODUCTION: FROM RE-VEGETATION TO HYDROPONICS

INTRODUCTION
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH OPUNTIA FODDER PRODUCTION

The cladode as a water reservoir
Length of growing season
Propagation
Response to pruning
Response to fertilization
Response to high planting densities

EXTENSIVE CULTIVATION OF OPUNTIA FOR FORAGE IN ECOLOGICALLY-ORIENTED PROGRAMMES
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EXTENSIVE PLANTATIONS

Site selection
Site protection
Planting material
Collection of planting material from wild stands
Planting techniques
Fertilization
Utilization

INTENSIVE CULTIVATION OF OPUNTIA FOR FORAGE PRODUCTION

Site selection
Land preparation
Cultivars
Propagation material
Plantation layout
Planting date
Fertilization
Weed control
Management of pests and diseases
Harvesting
Storage

HYDROPONIC CULTIVATION
HYDROPONICS: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
THE SYSTEM
GENOTYPE PERFORMANCE

Effect of irrigation schedule and planting method
Water use efficiency

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LITERATURE CITED

ANNEX 1 - SOME OPUNTIA WEBSITES

ANNEX 2 - COLOUR PLATES

FAO TECHNICAL PAPERS

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