ISHS Acta Horticulturae 438: III International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal
YIELD VARIATION IN CLONALLY PROPAGATED OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA (L.) MILL. PLANTS WHEN TERMINAL CLADODES ARE USED |
| Authors: | A.B. Wessels, L.L. Van Der Merwe, H. Du Plessis |
| Keywords: | cactus pear, variability, root, growth |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.438.8 |
| Abstract:
Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) is world wide mainly propagated by terminal cladodes. The ease of the method and the success rate makes it the obvious technique. In critical yield studies during recent years however, dramatic variation between clonal plants focused the attention on possible reasons for this phenomenon. In this investigation cladode size al planting, fertility during the previous season, overall fertility of the mother plant and the orientation of the cladode on the mother plant were selected as possible factors contributing towards variation in an eventual yield. Preliminary results obtained over a two year period indicated that cladode size positively influenced the growth rate of the plant. Previous fertility, orientation on the mother plant and cladode size used as clonal propagation material did not influence yields at the first year of harvest. The same variation in yield performance of individual plants occurred in all treatments as is reflected by the high standard error recorded. This study is to be continued for at least four year. | |
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