‘MLES’ AND ‘DRAIBINA’ WILD POPULATIONS OF CACTUS PEAR IN KHOURIBGA AREA

In the genus Opuntia, many species and cultivars with edible fruits are described in the world and some are described in Morocco.
The aim of this work was to characterize the populations of cactus pear which exist in Khouribga area.
Description of plants and their organs allowed us to distinguish between two groups of plants: a thorny one which is called ‘Draibina’ and a spineless one which is named ‘Mles’. Dimensions of pads of both populations are almost identical, but their colour is different: green to light green in ‘Mles’ and glaucous green in ‘Draibina’. Flowers of both populations are similar and dimensions of their fruits are almost identical, but average fresh weight of fruits, peel and pulp are higher in the thorny group (83.84, 34.30 and 49.54 g respectively) than in the spineless one (77.57, 30.63 and 46.93 g respectively). Fruits seed content and the rate of aborted ones are higher in ‘Mles’ (amongst 300.55 seeds/fruit 33.42% are aborted) than in ‘Draibina’ (amongst 277.51 seeds/fruit 23.63% are aborted). Fruits contents in juice, titrable acidity and vitamin C, and the pH are almost similar in both groups of plants, but the rate of sugars is little higher in ‘Draibina’ population.

VII International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal

M. Arba, E.C. Sharoua

cactus pear, Opuntia, Morocco, characterization, description, flowering, fruiting

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.995.7