Articles
BIOMASS ACCUMULATION IN OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA (L.) MILL PLANTS GROWN IN A CLOSED HYDROPONIC SYSTEM
Article number
843_2
Pages
35 – 42
Language
English
Abstract
The research was carried out at the Hydroponic Station of the Agronomy School of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, in Marin, NL Mexico.
Tender pad cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) cultivar Villanueva was planted at a density of 16 plants m-2. The aims of this study were: a) to estimate the tender pad cactus yield and, b) to determinate the increment of the fresh weight, dry matter, and nitrogen accumulation rate as a function of the air temperature (degree-days). Total cactus yield at 56 days after plantation, based on the fresh weight and dry matter production was 4.265 kg m-2 and 0.2252 kg m-2, respectively, while the total nitrogen uptake in the same period was 4.36 kg m-2. The relationship of fresh weight, dry matter and nitrogen uptake to degree-days was a first degree polynomial with R2 0.9924, 0.9948, and 0.9887 (p<0.001) determination coefficient per research parameter, respectively.
The increased production rate of fresh tender pad cactus and dry matter content was 0.004 and 0.0002 kg m-2 (degree-days)-1, respectively while the nitrogen accumulation rate was estimated to be 0.0228 g m-2 (degree-days)-1.
Tender pad cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) cultivar Villanueva was planted at a density of 16 plants m-2. The aims of this study were: a) to estimate the tender pad cactus yield and, b) to determinate the increment of the fresh weight, dry matter, and nitrogen accumulation rate as a function of the air temperature (degree-days). Total cactus yield at 56 days after plantation, based on the fresh weight and dry matter production was 4.265 kg m-2 and 0.2252 kg m-2, respectively, while the total nitrogen uptake in the same period was 4.36 kg m-2. The relationship of fresh weight, dry matter and nitrogen uptake to degree-days was a first degree polynomial with R2 0.9924, 0.9948, and 0.9887 (p<0.001) determination coefficient per research parameter, respectively.
The increased production rate of fresh tender pad cactus and dry matter content was 0.004 and 0.0002 kg m-2 (degree-days)-1, respectively while the nitrogen accumulation rate was estimated to be 0.0228 g m-2 (degree-days)-1.
Authors
P. Almaguer-Sierra, H. Rodríguez-Fuentes, J.A. Vidales-Contreras, R. Valdez-Cepeda, J. Aranda-Ruíz, J. Rodríguez-Absi, M. López-Jiménez, J.C. Rodríguez-Ortíz
Keywords
rate of growth, tender pad cactus, nitrogen, degree-days, soilless culture
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