Journal Article
Agronomic Performance and Water Use Indicators of Cactus Species Widely Cultivated in Semiarid Regions
George do Nascimento Araújo Júnior; Luciana Sandra Bastos de Souza; Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim; Carlos André Alves de Souza; Sérvulo Mercier Siqueira e Silva; Djalma Cordeiro dos Santos; Antonio José Steidle Neto; José Edson Florentino de Morais; José Francisco da Cruz Neto; Marcelo José da Silva; José Carlos Mendonça; Enio Farias de França e Silva; Thieres George Freire da Silva
Irrigation and Drainage · Vol. 74, Issue 5 · pp. 2156-2173 · 2025
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance, crop evapotranspiration (ET c ), crop coefficients (K c , K cb and K e ) and yield response factor (K y ) of three forage cactus clones—Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM), Miúda (MIU) and IPA Sertânia (IPA)—grown in a semiarid environment. Four experiments involving different irrigation strategies and the use of mulch were conducted between 2012 and 2020. The OEM clone presented the highest yields of fresh matter (428.44 Mg ha −1 ) and dry matter (39.14 Mg ha −1 ). The use of mulch increased the average productivity by 15% and reduced soil evaporation by 13%. The highest ET c (3.14 mm day −1 ) was recorded for the OEM. The average K c values under cultivation without mulch were 0.61 (OEM), 0.59 (MIU) and 0.62 (IPA). When cultivated with mulch (8.2 Mg ha −1 ), a K c value of 0.45 (OEM) was observed. Under a relatively high mulch rate (18 Mg ha −1 ), the K c values increased to 0.70 (OEM), 0.66 (MIU) and 0.63 (IPA). The average K y across clones was 0.80, reinforcing the adaptability of the forage cactus to the semiarid region. The results highlight the influence of species and management strategies on water use and productivity, emphasizing the importance of considering these factors in irrigation planning.