"Prickly pears may be fed to live stock in a green, succulent condition right from the field as needed. They require no curing, housing, or storage. In this they offer an advantage over most crops. They can be grown at a minimum expense, only the cost of planting and keeping down the weeds being involved, although the yield, like that of most crops is in direct proportion to the care and labor bestowed. Prickly pear will thrive where the rainfall is too irregular for most standard farm crops. Its yields are large and cumulative, increasing from year to year, so that a heavy tonnage may be had from small areas or use at critical periods. Prickly pear is green and succulent and admirably adapted to produce "good condition" in cattle when used with dry feeds. Cattle in brush pastures are known to have subsisted upon it even without water for long periods."--[2].
The Opuntia fruits, commonly known as cactus pears or prickly pears, have been suggested by the Food and Agriculture Organization to be a promising and strategic crop in regions suffering from lack of water. In Mexico, India, South Africa, and the Mediterranean, the Opuntia fruits have become popular due to their nutritive value and health-promoting benefits, including antioxidant, antiulcerogenic and antiatherogenic traits and protective effects against LDL oxidation. Additionally, readily absorbable sugars, high vitamin C and mineral content, and a pleasant flavour make Opuntia tailor-made for novel foods. Due to their ecological advantages, high functional value, and health-related traits, Opuntia fruits can be highly exploited in different food processing applications. For instance, Opuntia cactus fruits are used for the preparation of juices and marmalades; Opuntia cactus plants are used to feed animals in African and Latin American countries; Peruvian farmers cultivate Opuntia cactus for growing the cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) insect and producing the natural dye carmine; and the commercial production of food and non-food products from Opuntia has been established in Mexico, USA and several Mediterranean countries. Opuntia spp.: Chemistry, Bioactivity and Industrial Applications creates a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on Opuntia cactus with special emphasis on its horticulture, post-harvest, marketability, chemistry, functionality, health-promoting properties, technology and processing. The text includes detailed discussion of the impact of traditional and innovative processing on the recovery of high-added value compounds from Opuntia spp. by-products. Later chapters explore the potential applications of Opuntia spp. in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.
Opuntias are multipurpose plants that are increasingly being used in agricultural systems in arid and semi-arid areas. Due to its high water-use efficiency, it is particularly useful as forage in times of drought and in areas where few other crops can grow, and it is now considered a key component for the productivity and sustainability of these regions. This publication presents current scientific and practical information on the use of the cactus Opuntia as forage for livestock.
Cactus plants are precious natural resources that provide nutritious food for people and livestock, especially in dryland areas. Originally published in 1995, this extensively revised edition provides fresh insights into the cactus plant’s genetic resources, physiological traits, soil preferences and vulnerability to pests. It provides invaluable guidance on managing the resource to support food security and offers tips on how to exploit the plant’s culinary qualities.
The bean crop of the Southwest suffers severe injury from the bean ladybird, which sometimes ruins entire crops. It is restricted to beans for food and attacks all kinds. Both beetles and their larvæ devour all parts of the plant -- leaves, flowers and pods -- but the chief injury is to the foliage. The pest can be controlled in small areas by hand-picking the overwintered beetles and by brushing the larvæ or young from the plants during hot, dry weather. On a larger scale it may be controlled by spraying with arsenite of zinc, arsenate of lead, or arsenate of lime. Clean cultivation should be practiced and early and late planting." -- [2]
