Low-temperature tolerance of Prickly pear cacti

Park S. Nobel; Michael E.  Loik

doi:10.56890/jpacd.vi.458

Authors

Park S. Nobel Laboratory of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of California. Los Angeles, California.
Michael E. Loik Laboratory of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of California. Los Angeles, California.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56890/jpacd.vi.458

Abstract

Freezing temperatures are one of the main factors limiting the cultivation of prickly pear cacti for cattle fodder and human consumption in the United States. Agronomically important Opuntia such as Opuntia ficus-indica are generally irreversibly injured at -5 C to -10 C, whereas various widely distribuited native species such as Opuntia fragilis and O. humifusa can tolerate -20 C to -40 C.