Effect of sectioning, drying, and shading on the propagation of Opuntia cochenillifera (L.) Mill. cladodes

Rafael   Llinás; Carlos Atencio; Andy  González; Gisela Rivero; Jorge  Ortega; Ciolys  Colmenares; Ruben León

Rafael Llinás Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4820-6062
Carlos Atencio Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5850-5502
Andy González Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6691-7566
Gisela Rivero Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad del Zulia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4914-8650
Jorge Ortega Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad del Zulia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3623-0540
Ciolys Colmenares Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad del Zulia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8545-2959
Ruben León https://orcid.org/ 0009-0000-7846-2465

Keywords: prickly pear, cladode, propagation, forage

Abstract

Opuntia cochenillifera (L.) Mill. has a forage potential in arid areas. Because pastures are insufficient to meet livestock's nutritional demands during the dry season, this research aimed to evaluate the effects of sectioning (S), drying (D), and shading (Sh) of cladodes on the propagation of Opuntia cochenillifera (L.) Mill. The S factors (whole cladode and apical, middle, and basal sections), D (pre-drying at room temperature on mesh under shade for 14 days), and Sh (with and without shading under 80 % density raffia mesh), resulted in a combination of 16 treatments, arranged in a split-plot treatment design and a completely randomized experimental design. Percentages of living, rooted, and sprouted cladodes, number of shoots per cladode, and number and length of roots were evaluated 35 days after establishment. An analysis of variance and a means test were applied to determine differences among treatments. An increase in the percentage of rooted cladodes was obtained with the middle, apical, and basal fractions compared to the whole cladode, regardless of the drying process. Prior shading was counterproductive for cladode survival; high environmental humidity, combined with their water content, may have favored the appearance of secondary rots. In general, considering most of the variables evaluated, cladode sectioning without drying emerged as the best technique for asexual propagation of the species, due to the yield of vegetative material and its practicality.

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