Caracterização morfométrica e estimativa da produção de Opuntia ficus-indica, Mill. sob diferentes arranjos populacionais e doses de fósforo no semi-árido da Paraiba, Brasil.

Abstract

The present study was aimed at the evaluation of the morphological traits and production estimaties of Opuntia ficus-indica Mill., under different population arrangements in the semi-arid region of Paraíba, Brazil. The study was conducted in NUPEÁRIDO Farm of the Federal University of Campina Grande, Patos, PB, Brazil, under field conditions during 2006. The treatments were a factorial arrangement between P (100, 150, 200 and 250 kg P2O5 ha-1) and spacing (0.10 m; 0.15 m ; 0.20 m and 0.25 m). The experiment was set up in a randomized block design, in a factorial arrangement, with three replications. The growth parameters evaluated were: number of areoles per cladode, number of cladodes per plant, length, width, perimeter and thickness of the cladodes, and the production estimate. The number of areoles oscillated from 4.0 to 4.8 units for cladodes; cladode number for plant was of 11.5; length, width, perimeter and thickness were of 24.99 cm, 15.63 cm, 60.29 cm and 0.53cm, respectively; the production estimated presented better result in the spacing 1.7 m x 0.10 m reaching maximum values of 92.79 t ha-1; therefore considered a satisfactory result considering the local conditions. The results obtained it was study, allow to conclude that: soil phosphorus fertilization significant increase the cladode number per plant; the spacing higher between lines provided, independently of simples superphosphate doses, lower yield prediction; the single superphosphate were applied in the spacing lower between plants, provided green mass production higher of the cactus pear; the growing of the cactus pear is a viable cultivation alternative for the region of Patos-PB.