Effects of organic amendments and humic substances on tender cladode production of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.

Abstract

Humic and fulvic acids are widely recognized as biostimulants capable of improving nutrient availability and plant growth. This study evaluated the effects of organic amendments and humic substances on the production of tender cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. The experiment was conducted under a randomized complete block design with four replicates and 15 treatment combinations derived from three substrate conditions (unamended soil, bovine manure, and poultry manure) and five humic/fulvic acid treatments (no acid application, humic acid at 2.5 and 5.0 g L?¹, and fulvic acid at 2.5 and 5.0 g L?¹). Organic amendments were applied once at planting at a rate equivalent to 50 t ha?¹, whereas humic and fulvic acids were applied periodically through irrigation. Tender cladodes were harvested at 20 ± 1 cm in length, and cumulative production and number of tender cladodes were recorded throughout the production cycle. Poultry manure significantly increased both cumulative tender cladode production and the number of tender cladodes compared with the unamended soil treatment. Fulvic acid application also resulted in greater production and a higher number of tender cladodes than humic acid and the no-acid treatment. The combination of poultry manure and fulvic acid produced the highest number of tender cladodes. These results indicate that poultry manure and fulvic acid constitute effective management alternatives for improving tender cladode production of Opuntia ficus-indica under calcareous soil conditions.