Data/hora: 09/06/2024 14:47:23

Provedor de dados: | 87
País: | Brazil
Título: | Cactus Pear: a Weed of Dry-Lands for Supplementing Food Security Under Changing Climate
Autores: | IQBAL,M.A.; HAMID,A.; IMTIAZ,H.; RIZWAN,M.; IMRAN,M.; SHEIKH,U.A.A.; SAIRA,I.
Data: | 2020-01-01
Ano: | 2020
Palavras-chave: | Opuntia ficus indica; Cladodes; Emergency water supply; Forage bank; Indian fig.
Resumo: | ABSTRACT: Climate change characterized by global warming and frequent occurrence of prolonged drought spells has necessitated the cultivation of multi-purpose crops which are temperature and drought hardy. This paper evaluates the production potential of cactus pear [Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.] as an alternate and low-cost forage crop along with the recent advancements in its cultivation and utilization as food crop for supplementing the food security of rapidly increasing populace. The botanical, ecological and physiological traits enabling cactus pear to survive under harsh agro-climatic conditions have been objectively elaborated. A variety of impediments hampering its wide-scale cultivation and future breeding needs for improving the biomass production and nutritional quality have also been identified. The potential of cactus pear to reduce desertification along with imparting sustainability to modern, commercial and profitable agriculture in dry-lands makes it an exceptional plant. Its annual biomass (stems called cladodes) yield of 40-50 t ha-1 with an appropriate agronomic management may sustain 5-6 adult cows supporting a family of 12-16 people. However, its slow growth, less fruit yield, poor nutritional quality of forage and the fear of cactus pear becoming a noxious weed restricts its popularized cultivation and thus demands a comprehensive genetic improvement and agronomic technology package.
Tipo: | Info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Idioma: | Inglês
Identificador: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-83582020000100402
Editor: | Sociedade Brasileira da Ciência das Plantas Daninhas
Relação: | 10.1590/s0100-83582020380100040
Formato: | text/html
Fonte: | Planta Daninha  v.38 2020
Fonte: | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess