Polymorphism analysis in some Algerian <em>Opuntia</em> species using morphological and phenological UPOV descriptors

Abstract

Background: In the present study, we have investigated the morphological variation in a set of five Opuntia species from the Algerian steppes using 49 UPOV descriptors. Questions: Which of the 49 descriptors that can be used as powerful estimators of the phenotypic diversity within Opuntia species? How is the morphological diversity patterned in Algerian Opuntia? Species study/ Mathematical model: Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia amycleae, Opuntia streptacantha, Opuntia engelmannii, Opuntia robusta. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were used. Study site: Four counties were studied located in the Algerian steppes. The present research was carried out during 2014. Methods: 49 descriptors adopted by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) were employed in the present research, where cladode, flower and fruit traits were used to determine the overall degree of polymorphism among 5 Opuntia species. Results: Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis indicated a consistent differentiation between all studied species. The relative magnitude of the first two PCA eigenvectors showed that 8 descriptors out of 49 were identified as the most important descriptors for the classification of the species. The dendrogram performed on the calculated Euclidean distances between all species pairs allowed the identification of 3 groups, unlike the PCA that identified 4 groups. The species Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia amycleae were identified as very close morphologically. Conclusions:The present outcome represents a paramount step towards the fast selection of interesting species and for their best management and conservation. Key words: Opuntia, diversity, multivariate analyses, clustering, UPOV. ResumenAntecedentes: En el presente estudio, hemos investigado la variación morfológica en un conjunto de cinco especies de Opuntia de las estepas argelinas utilizando 49 descriptores UPOV. Preguntas: ¿Cuáles de los 49 descriptores que pueden ser utilizados como estimadores poderosos de la diversidad fenotípica dentro de las especies de Opuntia? ¿Cómo se modela la diversidad morfológica en el Opuntia Argelina? Especie en estudio/ Modelo matemático: Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia amycleae, Opuntia streptacantha, Opuntia engelmannii, Opuntia robusta. Análisis de Componentes Principales (PCA) y un Análisis de Agrupamiento Jerárquico fueron usados Sitio de estudio y fechas: Se estudiaron cuatro condados situados en la estepa argelina. La presente investigación se realizó durante el año 2014. Métodos: En la presente investigación se utilizaron 49 descriptores adoptados por la Unión Internacional para la Protección de las Obtenciones Vegetales (UPOV), en los que se utilizaron características de cladodio, flor y fruto para determinar el grado global de polimorfismo entre 5 especies de Opuntia. Resultados: Se aplicó un análisis multivariado, constituido por un análisis de componentes principales (PCA) y un análisis de agrupamiento jerárquico, cuyo...

Morphological and phenological characterization of Moroccan Opuntia cactus varieties (Karama, Ghalia, Belara, Marjana, Cherratia, Angad, and Melk Zhar) resistant to the cactus cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell)

“…In Algeria, PCA and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were conducted on a set of five Opuntia species using 49 descriptors. The analysis revealed distinct differences between the species and identified eight key descriptors crucial for their classification; these findings have important implications for the selection and conservation of Opuntia species in Algeria (Hadjkouider et al, 2017).…”

Morphological Characterization of Opuntia Accessions from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) Using UPOV Descriptors

“…The present study revealed the morphological and phenological diversity of the Opuntia genus in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) using 52 descriptors of the UPOV and chemical composition. Hadjkouider et al [30] studied forty-nine morphological descriptors in five Opuntia species cultivated on Algerian steppes. Other authors, such as Gallegos-Vázquez et al [29,44], Erre and Chessa [45], Mejía et al [46], and Chalak et al [14], performed 24, 38, 23, and 23 descriptors, respectively.…”

“…Hadjkouider et al [30] reported that only a few descriptors have an effective discriminating capacity. In their study, two quantitative descriptors (length of flower and length of the longest spine per cladode) and six qualitative descriptors (time of beginning of flowering, time of harvest maturity, main color of the spine, main color of the fruit surface, color of the fruit flesh, and firmness of the fruit flesh) were identified as differential parameters in Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia amyclaea, Opuntia streptacantha, Opuntia robusta, and Opuntia engelmannii.…”

“…The cactus pear varieties and their wild relatives have been classified based on the morphological features of the fruits and cladodes [6,[28][29][30], chemical attributes [31,32], and frost tolerance [33]. However, most of these studies have used only a few commercial varieties and a reduced number of features.…”

Utilization of prickly pear waste for baker's yeast production

“…It is noteworthy that the consumption of fresh fruit causes the production of a huge amount of peel that consequently leads to serious environmental pollution problems and a generalized loss of nutritional value. Fruit peel is an abundant and renewable resource, suitable for animal feed as an important fodder crop during low feed availability periods following drought and dry seasons . Several projects and local programs have supported the diverse application of OFI (in food and pharmaceutical areas).…”