Yields of cactus pear cultivars under supplemental irrigation

The supplemental irrigation in cactus pear is becoming a reality, especially in areas where this cactus has difficulty in surviving in function the weather conditions. With this, the objective was to study the behavior of the cactus pear under supplemental irrigation strategies. The experiment was developed at the Instituto Agronômico de Pernambuco-IPA, in Ibimirim-PE, Brazil, in randomized block design with split-split plot and factorial scheme (2 x 3 x 3) + 1, with two localized irrigation systems (Drip and Micro sprinkler), three irrigation schedule (07, 14 and 28 days) and three cactus pear cultivars (IPA Sertânia, Miúda and Orelha de Elefante Mexicana) and one control treatment (without irrigation) with annual cuts, in the years 2018 and 2019. The variables Fresh Mass Yield (FMY) and Dry Mass Yield (DMY) were analyzed. During the first cycle it rained 525.7 mm and 110.0 mm was applied like supplemental irrigation, while in the second cycle it rained 511.6 mm and 58.0 mm was applied of water. The supplemental irrigation promoted an increase of 46.22% in relation to the control treatment. To fresh mass yield there wasn’t statistical difference between the irrigation systems and between the irrigation schedule 07, 14 and 28 days, by the Tukey Test (p > 0.05). The productivity of the cultivar Orelha de Elefante Mexicana was 258.53 Mg.ha-1.year-1, the Miúda 182.49 Mg.ha-1.year-1 and the IPA Sertânia 129.60 Mg.ha-1.year-1. The dry mass yield followed the same statistical behavior as the fresh mass yield, with supplemental irrigation superior to not irrigated by 55.0%, as well as the treatments with irrigation schedule were similar and statistically different from the control treatment. The cultivars Orelha de Elefante and Miúda produced 19.78 and 18.66 Mg.ha-1.year-1 of dry mass, respectively, and differed statistically from the cultivar IPA Sertânia, which produced 10.90 Mg.ha-1.year-1.