OPUNTIA ROBUSTA: A POTENTIAL NEW COMMERCIAL CACTUS PEAR - C. Mondragón-Jacobo

Cactus Pear and Stone Fruits Program Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales y Agrícolas y Pecuarias Mexico

Most commercial varieties of cactus pear belong to Opuntia ficus-indica and O. albi-carpa, either in Mexico, the country of origin of cactus pear or in other regions or countries in which the plant is recognized as introduced or naturalized. The most conspicuous traits of these varieties are that they are all octoploids, their production is concentrated in summer (July – August), they mainly produce oval-shaped fruits and the peel/pulp colors range from light-green to deep red. In Mexico, during summer, cactus pear production competes disadvantageously with other fruits which are more generally accepted, such as peach, pineapple, watermelon, etc. O. robusta is a semi-domesticated cactus pear commonly found in backyards and family orchards of central Mexico and it has been neglected by growers and dealers alike, mainly due to the lack of information and promotion. This species is regularly hexaploid, the plants can be either spineless or spiny, and the fruits tend to be round, small-seeded and juicy. The peel and the pulp are purple, a rare color among the Opuntias, which presents a probable application in the field of nutraceutical foods. Its most interesting trait is that the fruit is usually ripe and available in May, a trait that may be exploited for breeding programs. In this presentation a sample of O. robusta is described, along with a comparison to two standard Mexican varieties. The possibilities of their introduction into the market are also discussed.