Adapting to Climate Change with Opuntia

Abstract

Adapting our food production chain and increasing the flora and fauna’s livelihood in climate change-affected areas using Opuntia is not only theoretical but already exists in practice in many places. This cactus grows in unsuitable soil for most species as it is adapted to arid and semi-arid soils and hot weather. In these regions, Opuntia protects from erosion and contributes to soil health. The usage of this plant as fodder is also discussed, with immense potential in substituting a part of livestock’s diet and even increasing the quality of the animal’s by-products and decreasing water consumption. This would result in a feed that is low-cost and has a lower environmental impact. It is to be noted that Opuntia has a high potential as an invasive species, with caution always being recommended when dealing with this specie. The high content of specific compounds, such as proline, indicaxanthin, and betanin, found in Opuntia ficus-indica, influence the plant’s adaptation to unfavourable conditions. This collective evidence depicts Opuntia as a crop that can battle climate change and ensure food security.

Genomic insights into the clonal reproductive Opuntia cochenillifera: mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of the cochineal cactus for enhanced understanding of structural dynamics and evolutionary implications

“…These improvements are essential for developing high-yielding, quality varieties that can withstand the biotic and abiotic stresses prevalent in their production environments ( Gentile and La Malfa, 2022 ; Carra et al., 2023 ). In the context of climate change, there is increasing interest in Opuntia for its potential strategic role in arid areas, leveraging its high water-use efficiency ( Gentile and La Malfa, 2022 ; Jorge et al., 2023 ; Prisa, 2023 ). However, exploiting Opuntia germplasm for breeding is complex due to the high rate of apomixis, reducing the efficiency of generating novel variability via conventional breeding methods ( Gentile and La Malfa, 2022 ).…”

A crop for a forest: Opuntia ficus-indica as a tool for the restoration of Mediterranean forests in areas at desertification risk

“…Haw., have also become strongly invasive in some Mediterranean regions, particularly in small islands, rocky habitats, and cliffs (Vilà et al, 2003;Padrón et al, 2011;Guarino et al, 2021;Tesfay and Kreyling, 2021). In turn, positive effects of prickly pear on different ecosystem services such as soil protection, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and refuge to native grasses, forbs, and argan trees have also been reported (Génin et al, 2017;Oduor et al, 2018;Novoa et al, 2021;Stavi, 2022;Jorge et al, 2023). Additionally, prickly pear is being used as a restoration tool in large-scale projects in Africa (Neffar et al, 2018), and its cultivation contributes to sustaining the agricultural socio-economical tissues in many arid areas, therefore representing a typical conservation trade-off (Shackleton et al, 2011;Stavi, 2022).…”