Abstract
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive and economic performance of a forage cactus and sorghum intercropping system in relation to a forage cactus single cropping system under different irrigation blades with saline water. The study was conducted in Serra Talhada, State of Pernambuco, in a randomized block design, consisting of a factorial arrangement with split-plot parcels (5×2) and four replications. The five plots were the irrigation depths based on the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) (0, 8.75, 17.5, 26.25, and 35% ETo) and the two cropping systems were single forage cactus cropping and cactus intercropped with sorghum. The experiment was conducted for one year, with one forage cactus cycle and two cycles of sorghum. Yields were obtained at the end of the cycles. Economic profitability was analyzed by means of net revenue (NR) and the benefit/cost ratio (B/C), with cactus forage sold as forage or as "seed" and sorghum as forage. Net revenue and B/C simulations were carried out over an eight-year useful life span of the irrigation system. Increasing irrigation depth increased the dry matter yield of the intercropping system because of higher sorghum yield. Based on the NR and B/C ratio values, forage cactus and sorghum produced as forage produced higher economic outcomes in the intercropping system and showed a higher profitability from the 2nd year of implementation of the irrigation system. Forage cactus and sorghum intercropping irrigated with saline water is therefore recommended for forage production in the Brazilian semi-arid region.
Highlights
Forage cactus (Opuntia stricta) is the main food source for cattle, sheep and goat in the semi-arid region of Brazil, especially during the dry season
Its productive performance is influenced by the seasonality of water availability and salt stress, which are common characteristics in semi-arid environments since the response of this crop depends on the type of cultivar, the salinity level of the water or soil, local climatic conditions, and other aspects associated with crop management (CONY; TRIONE; GUEVARA, 2006; DUBEUX JÚNIOR et al, 2006)
Forage cactus intercropped with other crops was tested in non-irrigated areas (SILVA et al, 2013); forage cactus was even intercropped with sorghum, which is tolerant to salt and water stress and has a high capacity to adapt to semi-arid environments (GUIMARÃES et al, 2016; SILVA et al, 2013; SILVA et al, 2014)
Summary
Forage cactus (Opuntia stricta) is the main food source for cattle, sheep and goat in the semi-arid region of Brazil, especially during the dry season. The use of supplementary irrigation in forage cactus production system increases yields, studies with irrigation water from different depths, even in conditions of water salinity, are necessary to evaluate productivity (BARBOSA et al, 2012; LACERDA et al, 2011). In this context, the use of intercropping systems affects crop yield, mainly by influencing water, soil, and cropped area in addition to modifying pest-environment interactions, the occurrence of spontaneous plants, and productivity per unit area which, in most cases, is higher than in single cropping systems (MIRITI et al, 2012; SILVA et al, 2013). The adoption of forage cactus-sorghum intercropping, irrigated with saline water, may benefit the livestock industry of Brazilian semi-arid regions
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