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Journal of Fruit and Ornamental Plant Research Vol. 12, 2004: 127136
INTRODUCING AND GROWING SOME FRUITINGCOLUMNAR CACTI IN A NEW ARID ENVIRONMENT
Ahm e d A . E l O b e i d y
Department of Fruit Horticulture, Faculty of AgricultureCairo University, Giza, EGYPTemail: [email protected]
(Received January 23, 2004/Accepted August 11, 2004)
A B S T R A C T
One of the most important ways of coping with increasingly frequent watershortages is improving the efficiency of water use. Planting droughtresistant crops isa promising way of reducing the demand for water. Columnar cacti are especiallydroughttolerant and highly productive even though they consume very little water. Inthe United Arab Emirates, seven columnar fruiting cacti were evaluated in terms oftheir capacity for vegetative growth in a new arid environment. The cacti evaluatedwere: Carnegiea gigantea, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Pachycereus pectenaboriginum, P. pringlii, Stenocereus griseus, S. stellatus and S. thurberi. Plants werepropagated from cuttings in a greenhouse. Roots developed within two to four weeksof planting. The plants were acclimatized and transplanted in an orchard in the desert.Although the cacti varied widely in terms of growth, most of them are promisingspecies for cultivation in desert environments.
Keywords: arid environment, cactus, fruits, new crops, water use efficiency
INTRODUCTION
Onethird of the world's population faces water shortages, and thisis expected to rise to twothirds by theyear 2025 (U.N. Report, 2000).Governmentsponsored investmentshave increased urban landscaping andagriculture activities, which has resulted in severe overuse of waterresources beyond the natural renewalcapacity (Wilhite, 2000). The first
major step in coping with imminentwater shortages is the formulation andimplementation of a comprehensivewater management plan that reducesthe imbalance between supply anddemands. A welldesigned plan willfocus primarily on wise water management and on curbing rising demand(Rogers, 1994).There is a growing need for new
approaches to water management inarid and semiarid environments, as
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J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res. vol.12, 2004: 127136128
were as in other environments wererainfall is unreliable. A search forhighly productive, droughtresistantfruit crops is underway to address theneeds of farmers living in droughtprone areas.Columnar cacti are among the
drought resistant plants under consideration. Many columnar cactiproduce unique fruits which can beeaten fresh or dried, or be processedinto juice. Some cacti promise to beprofitable commercial crops (Casaset al., 1997).The Cactaceae are a large family
of succulents whose natural range isalmost entirely restricted to the NewWorld (Anderson, 2001). They haveevolved physiological and morphological adaptations which enablethem to grow in habitats far too dryfor other plants (Mauseth, 2000).They also tolerate high temperaturesand poor soils, which makes themhighly adaptable to new environments. Cacti can grow in dry, infertilemarginal land where common cropscannot grow. As succulents, cacti cansurvive long periods of drought byliving off water stored in their tissues.Water taken up into the stem isincorporated in a mucilaginous substance that does not evaporate asreadily as water (Saag et al., 1975).Cacti are not only resistant todesiccation, but are also extremelytolerant of desiccation when it occurs(Sowell, 2001). However, they areextremely susceptible to root rotwhen they are grown in waterloggedsoil. Large columnar cacti consistingof only a few cylinders transpire lessand are more drought resistant than
smaller cacti with more segments.Cactus spines create a microclimatearound the stem, which is coveredwith a waxy cuticle.Among the adaptations which
enable cacti to tolerate harsh conditions are: a stem capable of storingwater; the reduction or absence ofleaves; a waxy cuticle (Sowell, 2001);opening of the tissues during thenight to facilitate the uptake ofcarbon dioxide; and CrassulaceanAcid Metabolism (CAM) (Malda etal., 1999). Two cactus structures, ribsand tubercles, enable the stem toexpand and contract in response tochanges in water availability. Cactusroots are usually shallow and nonsucculent, and require little water.When the soil dries, the fine lateralroots generally die, while the largerroots become covered with a corkylayer (periderm) (Sowell, 2001). Waterconductivity in the roots decreasesdramatically during soil drying, whichreduces water loss from the planttissues to the soil (Huang and Nobel,1994; Nobel and Cui, 1992).The aim of this study was to
evaluate the capacity of seven speciesof fruiting columnar cacti for vegetative growth in a new arid environment in AlOha, United Arab Emirates.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Plant material and propagation
Cacti can be propagated eitherfrom seed or cuttings (LopezGomez etal., 2000). Asexual propagationproduces daughter plants which aregenetically identical to the parent plant.This allows a superior genotype to be
Growing some fruiting columnar cacti in a new arid environment
J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res. vol.12, 2004: 127136 129
perpetuated without losing any desirable traits (ElObeidy, 2001).Cuttings of seven fruiting cacti
were obtained from private nurseriesin Brazil, Mexico and the UnitedStates. The cacti evaluated were:Carnegiea gigantea, Myrtillocactusgeometrizans, Pachycereus pectenaboriginum, P. pringlii, Stenocereusgriseus, S. stellatus and S. thurberi.The cuttings were allowed to dry
in a warm, dry area for ten days topermit the cut surface to heal anddevelop callus. The callus helpsprevent rotting when the cutting isplaced in a rooting material. The largerthe cutting, the longer it should bedried.After drying, each cutting was
placed in the center of a 60 cmflowerpot onethird filled with a potting mix of one part peat and two partssoil. The flowerpots were then filled tothe twothirds level with the samepotting mix and kept in a greenhouse.
Orchard and transplantation
The orchard used in this studywas located in the AlOha area,United Arab Emirates. The soil issandy and has a salinity of 2200 ppm.The chief salt in the soil is sodiumchloride. An underground aquifer isthe only source of irrigation water,which has a salinity of up to 2800ppm. Local temperatures can reach49°C during the summer. The averageannual rainfall is 77 mm.In the autumn, plants were taken
out of the greenhouse, acclimated forten days in the shade, and planted inthe orchard.
The cacti were carefully slippedout of the flowerpots and planted inholes which were about 15 cm widerand a few centimeters deeper thanthe flowerpots. Heavy gloves and 30cm forceps were used to avoidinjuring the technicians and plants.The soil was lightly firmed aroundthe plants. The plants were thenwatered thoroughly.A drip irrigation system was used
in the orchard. Fertilizer (12:4:24) wasapplied one month after transplanting,and once a month after that.
Data analysis
Data were collected in twosuccessive seasons (2001/2002 and2002/2003). The data recordedincluded: percentage of survivingplants; growth rate (stem length anddiameter); number of ribs; number,length and distribution of spines; androot development. Other observationson growth behavior were alsorecorded. Thirty plants of each specieswere evaluated. Thirty more plants ofPachycereus pectenaboriginum wereevaluated to determine the effect ofplanting time on growth anddevelopment (Tab. 2).Means were compared using
Duncan’s multiple range ttest atP = 0.05.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Seven species of columnar fruitingcacti were evaluated in terms of theircapacity for vegetative growth ina new arid environment in AlOha,United Arab Emirates.
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J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res. vol.12, 2004: 127136130
Most of the cacti adapted well tothe new environment. In the localclimate, the growing season lastedfrom the middle of September untilthe middle of June. No growth ordevelopment was observed duringthe hot summer months.After being planted in the
orchard, Myrtillocactus geometrizansshowed yellowing in response tostress. The stems were bluegreenwith four to six ribs, and grew 3.3cm/month in height and 0.7 cm/monthin diameter (Tab. 1). Numerous upcurving branches began to developa month after transplanting (Fig. 1 andTab. 3). Each areole consisted ofa 3.0 cm long central spine surroundedby five 1.0 to 1.5 cm long peripheralspines. New spines were reddish, andold spines were leadcolored. On theolder parts of the stem, the spineshad fallen off and smaller, 0.1 to0.3 cm long spines had developed intheir place.Native to Central Mexico and
Guatemala, M. geometrizans produces berrylike fruits in large numbersalong the rib edges. The fruits havecommercial potential and can befound in local markets in centralMexico (Reynoso et al., 1997).With M. geometrizans and some
of the other cacti evaluated, excessive irrigation caused stem cracking(Fig. 2). Prolonged overwateringcaused wilting and, eventually, death.Pachycereus pringlii also showed
some yellowing after planting, butonly on the side facing the sun.New growth was pink (Fig. 3). Thestems had thirteen ribs and grew3.7 cm/month in height and
0.8 cm/month in diameter. Eachareole consisted of fourteen 1.0 to3.0 cm long spines, one to three ofwhich were central spines. Allspines on the new growth were redand turned white with age.Pachycereus pectenaboriginum
had stems which had eight to ten ribsand which grew 3.9 cm/month inheight and 0.7 cm/month in diameter.Spines on the new growth were brightreddishbrown and turned white withage (Fig. 4). Each areole consisted ofone 3.3 cm long central spinesurrounded seven or eight 1.0 cmlong peripheral spines.Neither species of Pachycereus
developed branches or sprouts duringthe first two seasons. However, intheir natural habitat, Pachycereusspecies develop erect branches closeto the ground which grow almoststraight up. The branches are almostas big as the main stem (Anderson,2001).Both species of Pachycereus
produce edible fruits with sweet,juicy, pink or red flesh and smallblack seeds (Felger and Moser 1974;1976).The stems of Stenocereus stellatus
showed reddening on the side facingthe sun (Fig. 5). The stems had eightribs and grew 3.8 cm/month in heightand 0.6 cm/month in diameter (Tab. 1).Spines on the new growth werereddishbrown. Each areole consistedof a 2.0 to 3.0 cm long central spinesurrounded by seven or eight 0.5 to2.0 cm long peripheral spines.The rib edges of Stenocereus
griseus showed reddening on the sidefacing the sun (Fig. 6). The stems had
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J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res. vol.12, 2004: 127136 131
T a b l e 1 . Growth rate as an increase in stem length and diameter in fruitingcolumnar cacti
SpeciesIncrease in length[cm/month]
Increase in diameter[cm/month]
Carnegiea gigantea 0.3 0.3Myrtillocactus geometrizans 3.3 0.7Pachycereus pectenaboriginum
3.9 0.7
P. pringlii, 3.7 0.8Stenocereus griseus 3.7 0.8S. stellatus 3.8 0.6S. thurberi 2.1 0.8
T a b l e 2 . Effect of transplanting date on growth rate and survival of Pachycereuspectenaboriginum in the orchard
Date of transplantingIncrease in length[cm/month]
Increase indiameter[cm/month]
Percentagesurvival
August 15th 3.3 b 0.6 b 95September 15th 3.6 b 0.6 b 100October 15th 4.1 a 0.7 a 100February 15th 3.1 bc 0.5 c 95March 15th 2.1 d 0.4 d 75
*Results followed by the same letter do not differ significantly at P = 0.05 according to Duncan’s ttest
T a b l e 3 . Number of branches or sprouts per plant in fruiting columnar cacti
SpeciesNumber of branchesor sprouts per plant
Carnegiea gigantea 0Myrtillocactus geometrizans 5Pachycereus pectenaboriginum 0P. pringlii 0Stenocereus griseus 2S. stellatus 2S. thurberi 0
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J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res. vol.12, 2004: 127136132
Figure 1. Myrtillocactus geometrizans Figure 2. Cracked stem as affected byexcessive irrigation
Figure 3. Pachycereus pringlii Figure 4. Pachycereus pectenaboriginum
Growing some fruiting columnar cacti in a new arid environment
J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res. vol.12, 2004: 127136 133
Figure 5. Stenocereus stellatus Figure 6. Stenocereus griseus
Figure 7. Stenocereus thurberi Figure 8. Carnegiea gigantea
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J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res. vol.12, 2004: 127136134
seven ribs and grew 3.7 cm/month inheight and 0.8 cm/month in diameter.Each plant developed two sproutsduring the first growing season. Eachareole had one 2.0 to 4.0 cm longcentral spine surrounded by seven oreight 1.0 to 2.0 cm long peripheralspines.In Mexico. the most important
species of Stenocereus are S.griseus and S. stellatus. Pulp colordiffers from clone to clone, and may bewhite, orange, pink, or red. The skin ofthe fruit is usually green, butsometimes various shades of red arealso seen (Casas et al., 1999; Gibson,1991; Silivius, 1995; PimientaBarriosand Nobel, 1994).Stenocereus thurberi developed
purple areoles after being planted inthe orchard (Fig. 7). The stems grew2.1 cm/month in height and 0.8cm/month in diameter.S. thurberi grows wild in Arizona
and Northwestern Mexico, andproduces red fruits that split whenmature to reveal red flesh inside(Anderson, 2001).Carnegiea gigantea grew very
slowly. The stems had thirteen orfourteen ribs and grew only 0.3cm/month in height and 0.3cm/month in diameter (Tab. 1, Fig.8). Each areole consisted of two orthree 2.0 cm long central spinessurrounded by fourteen to sixteen 1.0to 1.5 cm long peripheral spines. Thespines were reddishbrown on newgrowth and turned gray with age.Although C. gigantea bears edible
fruits, it has little agricultural potential.
The fruits are usually collected fromwild plants (Crosswhite, 1980).One of the most important ways
of coping with increasingly frequentwater shortages is improving theefficiency of water use. Plantingdroughtresistant crops is a promisingway of reducing the demand for water.Columnar cacti are especially droughttolerant and highly productive eventhough they consume very littlewater.The fruiting cacti evaluated in this
trial can be used to establish newsuccessful plantations in other aridareas. Cacti can also play an importantecological role in combating desertification.
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Casas A. , Pickersgi l l B. ,Cabal lero J . , Valient BanuetA. 1997. Ethnobotany anddomestication in xoconochtli,Stenocereus stellatus (Cactaceae), inthe Tehuacan Valley and LaMixteca Baja, Mexico. ECONOMICBOTANY 51: 279292.
Crosswhi te F.S. 1980. Dry countryplants of the south Texas plains.DESERT PLANTS 2: 141179.
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WZROST I UPRAWA OWOCUJĄCYCH KAKTUSÓWKOLUMNOWYCH W ŚRODOWISKU PUSTYNNYM
Ahm e d A . E l O b e i d y
S T R E S Z C Z E N I E
Jednym z najważniejszych sposobów zapobiegania pogłębiającemu siędeficytowi wody jest poprawa skuteczności jej użytkowania. Obiecująco w tymkontekście przedstawia się uprawa roślin przystosowanych do suchego środowiska.Należą do nich kaktusy kolumnowe, które są wyjątkowo odporne na suszę, a przy tymich produktywność jest wysoka, pomimo że zużywają one bardzo mało wody.Przydatność siedmiu gatunków kolumnowych kaktusów: Carnegiea gigantea, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Pachycereus pectenaboriginum, P. pringlii, Stenocereusgriseus, S. stellatus i S. thurberi do uprawy w suchym środowisku testowanow Zjednoczonych Emiratach Arabskich. Rośliny rozmnażano z sadzonek zielnychw szklarni. Wytworzyły one korzenia po upływie 2 do 4 tygodni od posadzenia.Ukorzenione rośliny były aklimatyzowane i posadzone w sadzie na pustyni.Jakkolwiek wzrost tych kaktusów był bardzo zróżnicowany, większość z nich nadajesię do uprawy w środowisku pustynnym.
Słowa kluczowe: suche środowisko, kaktusy, owoce, nowe odmiany, deficyt wody