Abstract

In Chile, cactus pear has been used for decades as an alternative for the development of agriculture in areas with low water availability which limits the cultivation of other fruit crops and its rusticity has allowed that smallholdings even exist under the conditions of hyperarid conditions of northern tip of Chile, in the oasis of Codpa. However, no varietal diversification exists in Chile, and almost all orchards use green fruit genotypes called "Verde criolla". On the other hand, germplasm that produces fruits of different colors is available in the country, but so far, it remains virtually unknown. In order to establish the potential of this genetic material two experimental plots were established in Vicuña (Coquimbo Region, central-northern Chile) and Codpa (Arica and Parinacota Region, nortehern limit of Chile), locations where cactus pear is currently present. Four genotypes were planted (1V, green fruit; 2S, orange fruit; 4M, purple fruit; and 5AMY, O. amyclaea, yellow fruit). Evaluations of growth, development and productivity traits were performed during the first productive season (three years). Although no statistical differences in plant height, canopy volume and size of stems were found; interaction between (i) total number of cladodes and (ii) yield were observed: in Vicuña plants had a higher total number of cladodes, highlighting 4M and 3S (57 and 48 cladodes/plant respectively), while 1V in Vicuña and 5AMY and 3S in Codpa exhibited fewer cladodes/plant (23, 23 and 26 cladodes/plant respectively). Cladodes of the 4th and 5th cohorts had more influence on these differences. On the other hand, in Codpa, plants produced significantly more fruit, highlighting 5AMY and 3S (9.02 and 8.9 k/plant respectively), while 5AMY in Vicuña exhibited the lowest yield (0.45 K/plant). Thus, plants privileged vegetative growth in Vicuña (number of cladodes/plant) over reproductive investment (yield). Although we cannot out-rule that the following season could have a similar performance to or greater than Codpa plants, the warmer climate of Codpa enabled a higher precocity in fruit production.