The use of mulch in cultivating the forage cactus optimizes yield in less time and increases the water use efficiency of the crop

Abstract

Measurements of crop evapotranspiration (ET C ) and crop coefficients (k C ) in cactus have not yet been adjusted for the phenological stage using conservation practices (i.e. mulching). In this study, soil water dynamics, ET C and k C were measured in the forage cactus under cultivation systems with (WM) and without (NM) the use of mulch in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Opuntia stricta was subjected to irrigation depths based on a percentage of the reference evapotranspiration (ET 0 ) (rainfed, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) and to two systems of cultivation: WM and NM. Over time, the phenophases ( φ Ph) were established; the soil water balance components were calculated and the crop yield was evaluated at harvest. The use of 8.2 Mg ha À1 mulch led to almost no reduced water consumption by the crop when compared to the NM system; however, the mulch did maximize yield, at 839 C day, when irrigated with 50% ET 0 . The k C value was higher under the WM system, with the differences decreasing throughout the cycle ( φ PhI, 36%; φ PhII, 27%; φ PhIII, 23%; φ PhIV-HT, 17%; and φ PhIV-RF, 14%). Therefore, the use of mulch in cultivating the cactus optimized forage production in less time and significantly increased the water use efficiency of the crop. K E Y W O R D S cladode emission, harvest, Opuntia stricta, phenophase, semi-arid Résumé Les mesures de l'évapotranspiration des cultures (ET C ) et les coefficients de culture (k C ) chez le cactus n'ont pas encore été ajustées pour le stade Article title in French: Utilisation de paillis dans la culture du cactus fourrage permet d'optimiser le rendement en moins de temps et d'augmenter l'efficacité de l'utilisation de l'eau agricole.

Growth Dynamic, Productivity, Evapotranspiration, and Water-Economic Indices of Forage Cactus under Different Irrigation Depths

“…The authors of [18], evaluating the controlled water deficit in forage cactus, found that greater soil water availability, even if in deficit for the crop, anticipates the harvest and optimizes the forage yield of these systems over time. This behavior was also observed by [14], where mulch was used on the soil, reducing water losses to the atmosphere, and thus increasing water use by the crop.…”

“…In this context, forage cactus can be a strategic species to form resilient production systems, as it has the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) (e.g., stomatal opening at night and modified leaves), which provides a high capacity to withstand long periods of drought [12][13][14][15]. Furthermore, it has great potential as a source of bulk food for livestock, as the crop is an energy source for ruminants [16].…”

Pengaruh Komposisi Media dan Konsentrasi Pupuk NPK Terhadap Pertumbuhan Tanaman Kaktus (Gymnocalycium damsii var.multiproliferum)

“…Unsur N merupakan unsur dengan pengaruh paling besar terhadap pertumbuhan dan metabolisme tanaman tipe Crassulacean Acid Metabolism /CAM (Pereira et al, 2019). Unsur N yang tersedia dalam kadar optimum akan meningkatkan aktivitas fotosintesis tanaman CAM (Alves et al, 2022;Sanchez-Mendoza et al, 2022). Gambar 7.…”