USE OF CACTUS AS FODDER FOR LIVESTOCK IN INDIA
Compiled, & shared by-DR. RAJESH KUMAR SINGH, (LIVESTOCK & POULTRY CONSULTANT), JAMSHEDPUR Post no 1331Dt 24/07//2019
JHARKHAND,INDIA 9431309542, rajeshsinghvet@gmail.com
The word “Cactus” derives, from the Ancient Greek word kaktos, a name originally used for a spiny plant whose identity is not certain. Cactus (plural: cacti, cactuses, or cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae.
Cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) is a long-domesticated cactus crop that has emerged as one of the most suitable crop species for arid and semi-arid climate for not only for its better Water Use
Efficiency (WUE) and Rain Use Efficiency (RUE) but also a source to meet the requirements of food,forage and host of other benefits along with ecological advantages. This has made this crop as an
integral part of agricultural economy especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world.
DNA analysis: Opuntia ficus indica indicated that it was domesticated from Opuntia species native
to central Mexico. The village of Valtierrilla is a town in the Mexican state of Guanajuato in the city of
Salamanca, which is the largest producer of Opuntia and is considered to be the world capital of
Nopal.
Some of the common English names for the plant and its fruit are Indian fig opuntia, barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus, and prickly pear, The other names of Opuntia ficus indica are Cactus Flower, Cactus Fruit, Cactus Pear Fruit, Nopal, Nopal Cactus. Although this last name has also been applied to other less common Opuntia species.
Plant Description:
Cactus have fleshy succulent stems that are major organs of photosynthesis. They have small ortransient leaves. The plants flower in three distinct colours: white, yellow and red .They have flowers with ovaries that lie below the sepals and petals, often deeply sunken into a fleshy receptacle (the part of the stem from which the flower parts grow). The flowers first appear in early May through the early summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the fruit ripen from August through October. All cacti have areoles-highly specialized short shoots with extremely short internodes that produce spines, normal shoots and Flowers.
Rational for introduction of Cactus in Arid and semi Arid India
= Has capacity to produce good biomass throughout year using minimum water
= Multipurpose plant
Ø Drought tolerant
Ø Easy to establish
Ø Potential for rangeland and pastureland management Ø Helps in soil and water conservation
= Source of a variety of agri-foods available in more than 50 products
Ø Marmalades, juices, nectars, candies, frozen pulp, alcoholic beverages, pickles, sauces,shampoos, soaps and lotions.
Medicinal uses such as
Ø Antacid, arterio sclerosis, anticholesterolic, prostatis and hyperglycaemia
= It has now proven potential for diversification and improving livelihood for sustainability in drylands of India
= Ecosystem services in land reclamation, erosion control etc.
- ii) Uses of Cactus:
Fruit:
The most commercially valuable use for Opuntia ficus-indica today is for the large, sweet fruits,
called tunas. The name “tuna” is used for the fruit of this cactus and also for Opuntia genus in general.
The fruit has to be peeled carefully to remove the small spines on the outer skin before consumption. If the outer layer is not properly removed, glochids can be ingested, causing discomfort of the throat, lips, and tongue, as the small spines are easily lodged in the skin. Native Americans, like theTequesta, would roll the fruit around in a suitable medium (e.g. grit) to “sand” off the glochids. Alternatively, rotating the fruit in the flame of a campfire or torch has been used to remove the glochids. Today, parthenocarpic (seedless) cultivars are also available.
The fruit are typically eaten after chilling in a refrigerator for a few hours. They have a taste similar to a juicy, extra sweet watermelon
Tuna Jams and jellies are produced from the fruit, which resemble strawberries and figs in colour and flavour.
Vegetables:
Mexican and other southwestern residents eat the young cactus pads (nopales, plural) (nopal,singular), usually picked before the spines harden. The nopal pads can be eaten raw or cooked, used
in marmalades, soups stews and salads. They are sliced into strips, skinned or unskinned, and fried with eggs and jalapeños, served as a breakfast treat. Nopales are generally sold fresh in Mexico,cleaned of spines, and sliced to the customer’s desire on the spot, they can also be found canned or bottled, and less often dried, especially for export. Cut into slices or diced into cubes, nopales have a light, slightly tart flavour, like green beans, and a crisp, mucilaginous texture. In most recipes, the mucilaginous liquid they contain is sometimes included in the cooking. They are at their most tender
and juicy in the spring
Fodder:
Cacti have a better Water Use Efficiency (WUE) and Rain Use Efficiency (RUE) than any other conventional fodder crops. It is even better than acacia trees. Opuntia uses 267 kg of water per kg dry matter (DM) produced, while pearl millet (one of the prominent drought tolerant cereal crop) uses 400 kg water per kg DM produced.The RUE of Opuntia is 40 kg DM/mm/year, while pearl millet is 25 kg DM/mm/yr
Opuntia being a CAM* plant has potential for producing a large amount of forage to feed large and small ruminant animals in dry regions. In Tunisia under rain fed condition, spineless Opuntia yields 20 t/ha/year of fresh paddles as reported in areas with 150 mm/year rainfall and 100 t/year in areas with 400 mm/year rainfall.
The dry matter content of Opuntia is less than 15%. It has low protein content about 4% CP, low phosphorus and fiber content about 10% of the DM. However, it is rich in energy, calcium and ash. As such, cactus is energy feed source. Since fiber content is low and protein is lower than the maintenance requirement for ruminants (about 7% of the DM), Cacti need supplementation with nitrogen sources and fibrous feed like straws from cereals for optimum animal performance.
Since paddles are highly succulent (about 85% water), animals can survive for a long time without
water in areas where water is a problem A cow consuming 40 kg of fresh cactus per day will also
consume 35 litres of water per day simultaneously. Thus, cactus is an appropriate fodder in arid and
semi-arid Regions
Industrial use – Alcoholic Beverages
= Mexicans have used Opuntia for thousands of years to make an alcoholic drink called colonche.
= In the center of Sicily, in the Province of Enna, in a small village named Gagliano Castelferrato, a prickly pear-flavoured liqueur is produced called “Ficodi”.
= In Malta, a liqueur called Bajtra (the Maltese name for prickly pear) is made from this fruit.
= On the island of Saint Helena, the prickly pear also gives its name to locally distilled liqueur, Tungi Spirit
Medicinal Uses:
Antioxidant : The stems and fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica contain eight flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties and the fruit is reportedly better than Vitamin C.
Inflammation : Ethanol extracts from prickly pear cactus fruit and stems were prepared and used to
evaluate the pharmacological activities of the plant. A study from Korea, found that both extracts suppressed paw edema in laboratory animals and had a potent inhibitory effect against leukocyte
migration, which is an important mechanism in the development of inflammatory diseases.
Cholesterol : In studies on this fruit suggest that prickly pear pectin decreased LDL concentrations and
led to a 28 percent drop in total cholesterol levels. Furthermore, Mexican researchers found that
animals fed raw nopal had lower weight gains and a 34 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels.
Diabetes : Nopal has been studied for its effects on blood sugar levels. It has been reported that the cactus extracts caused a significant decrease in blood glucose values by almost 18 percent.
Ulcers : The Opuntia ficus indica (nopal) cactus has been used in Sicily folk medicine for years to treat gastric ulcers
The fruit of Opuntia ficus indica can cause constipation if consumed with the seeds, without the seeds it is laxative.
Other uses of cactus crops:
= Waterproof: It is as an ingredient in adobe (to bind and waterproof). Fluid (cactus juice) extracted
from Opuntia pads and stems, especially Opuntia ficus indica, is one of the most commonly used additives in Earthen wall plaster
= Natural Dye: Opuntia ficus indica (as well as other species in Opuntia and Nopalea) is cultivated in
nopalries to serve as a host plant for cochineal insects, which produce desirable red and purple thedyes. This dye was extremely valuable to early 16 centurythrough late 19 century.
= Dietary Mineral: The high levels of Selenium in Opuntia are comparable to those found in
Brassicaceae
= Dispersant for oil spills: A University of South Florida engineering professor and a team of researchers have found that mucilage from the prickly pear cactus works as a natural, non-toxic dispersant for oil spills.
= For water treatment: The flesh (mucilage) of the cactus has been found to purify water. A project at the University of South Florida is investigating its potential for low-cost, large-scale water purification.
As it turns out, this particular species of cactus, Opuntia ficus, is being used as a fodder for cattle and also as food for us, Homo Sapiens.
This particular species of cactus is thornless and is common to arid and semiarid parts of the world where it is consumed. It is especially popular in Mexico, where the fruit of the plant is used to make jam and jelly. In fact, Mexicans have also used the Opuntia for thousands of years to make an alcoholic drink called colonche.
So how is this used for cattle fodder?
The cattle industry of the United States began to cultivate the Opuntia as a fresh source of feed for cattle. And soon, it became popular in India.
The advantage of using this cactus as fodder are enumerated below:
- As it can be grown in arid and semi-arid regions, it requires very little water for cultivation. It has high water-use efficiency (WUE), i.e. to produce 1 kg of dry matter, it needs 267 kg of water against 400 kg required for pearl millet.
- The plant is great during heavy monsoons as well. Due to high rain-use efficiency (RUE), it can produce 40 kg of dry matter/mm/year of rainfall against 25 kg in pearl millet.
- It has the potential to produce a large quantity of palatable and nutritious green fodder for the livestock for lesser labour.
- The entire plant can be used for green fodder, and there is nothing that goes to waste.
- The nutritional quality is off the charts. It is rich in vitamin A and water-soluble carbohydrates. Forage quality is comparable with several other cultivated fodder crops.
- It is an excellent source of water too as 90% of its composition is liquid.
- It is suitable for a range of soils. And not only that, it can help fight soil erosion, combat desertification and reclaim degraded land.
- And it has a high potential to capture carbon both in soil and in the air, thereby reducing carbon emissions in the region.
Cactus as a fodder and beyond——–
Against the backdrop of ongoing climate change, frequent and long droughts, and land degradation, cactus has a special place in future sustainable food production systems in dry areas. Among various cacti, cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) has drawn extensive attention because of its multi-uses and being free of spines (thorns). Furthermore, it is highly resilient, and has high water use efficiency and capability to grow in poor and degraded soils where other plants fail to grow (Figure 1). Mexico is considered as the centre of cactus origin. Cactus is vegetatively propagated and cladodes are used for this purpose. This method of propagation preserves the genetic characteristics of the plant.
Cactus pear (O. ficus-indica) is a CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) plant which offers it tolerance to water scarcity and enhances its survival in harsh climates. The CAM mechanism enables nocturnal CO2 uptake. Cactus pear opens its stomata at night to fix CO2 and accumulate and store malate in vacuoles of chlorenchyma cells. Due to low temperatures and high humidity during nights, the transpiration of this plant is 3–5 times lower than C3 and C4 plants, which gives this plant the ability to thrive in semi-arid environments and makes it highly efficient in water use.
Global production scenario————-
It is cultivated in America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania. Argentina has approx. 1 650 ha under cactus cultivation, Brazil has a cactus production area of 500 000 ha, Chile covers 935 ha; while, Mexico has a cultivated area of approx. 54 000 ha and a large area (3 million ha) is under cactus in the wild as natural plantation. Other countries in America that have cactus plantation are Peru and Bolivia. Brazil and Bolivia use cactus mainly as a fodder crop; while, Chile, Argentina and Mexico use it for fruit production. Cactus in Peru is used mainly (60%) for production of red dye and the remaining (40%) is used for fruit production. Cactus production in Mexico has started using more intensive production practices, lately; for example, adoption of drip irrigation, and cultivation in more benign areas with better quality soil and good rainfall conditions, and use of mechanical fruit-cleaning. In Africa, cactus is cultivated in Algeria (30 000 ha), Ethiopia (360 000 ha, 66% being spiny cactus) and Morocco (120 000 ha). South Africa has approx. 4 500 ha for fruit (33%) and fodder (rest 67%) production, and an estimated 150 000 ha of original cactus infestation is largely used for fruit production for sale in the local market. Cactus area covered in Tunisia is approximately 600 000 ha, mainly for fruit production. In West Asia, Jordan (300 ha), Lebanon (area not known), Syria (area not known), Gulf countries (Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen; area not known) and Israel (350 ha) cultivate cactus. In Europe, it is cultivated in Italy (15 000 ha), Portugal (200 ha) and Spain (small orchards; area not known). In some countries cactus cladodes obtained on pruning the cactus orchards established for fruit production are also used for livestock feeding. This has enabled integration of livestock into the cactus production, which brings back nutrients and organic matter to cactus cultivation through manure and also compliments farmers’ income. Due to lack of information on the area under cactus cultivation it is difficult to assess precisely the importance of cactus in different livestock production systems.
Feeding of Cactus: ————
A livestock species like goat are already grazing the cactus in certain part of India particularly in
dry land systems. Cactus can be fed to cattle and small ruminants like Goat by mixing it in Total
Mixed Ration (TMR). Many farmers prefer and are encouraged to cut the cactus into smaller
pieces and supplement with hay or straw. The
cladodes, the fresh cactus pads or water storing
segments of the plant, are rich in easily fermentable
carbohydrates which aid digestion in the rumen.The
assorted accessions of spineless cactus (1270, 1271,
1280 and 1308) isan important substitute to farmers
due to its considerable survival, propagation capacity
and production potential under conditions of little
rain and high temperatures. A Cactus should be cut into smaller pieces for ease of feeding.
Cactus as animal feed————-
For sustainable food production systems including livestock production systems, cactus cultivation has a special place in drylands. Water scarcity and rangeland degradation are threatening livestock production in dry areas. Adapted perennial species such as cactus offer opportunities for improving fodder availability in such area. Cactus can produce a biomass from 20 tonnes dry matter (DM)/ha/year to 200 tonnes DM/ha/year. Being rich in water (ca 90%), it represents a cost-effective option for water provision to livestock in dry areas. With such high biomass yield (ca 60-fold increase over rangeland productivity), it is possible to produce sufficient forage to sustain 4–5 cows per year. A small intensively cropped cactus plantation can produce sufficient fodder, reducing the pressure on overstocked rangelands. The water footprint of cactus is also very low, approx. 250 litres/kg DM.
Besides water, cactus (Opuntia spp.) cladodes are high in sugars, ash and vitamins A and C, but are low in crude protein (CP; 3–5%) and fibre. Most of the nitrogen is present as non-protein nitrogen. The older the cladode, the lower its CP content. The cladodes are highly palatable. They have a high Ca:P ratio. The nutritive value of cladodes varies with species and cultivars. It also varies according to season, agronomic condition, soil, rainfall, fertilization, among others. One- to three-year old cladodes are high in water during winter and spring (85–90%), low in summer (75–85%); and the younger the cladode, the higher is its water content. Provision of chemical fertilizers (ammonite and superphosphate) increased CP content of cladodes from 45 to 105 g/kg DM. Breeding has also been used to increase the CP content of cladodes to 10%. The carbohydrates content is approx. 60%, β-carotene level is approx. 0.65 mg/100 g DM and mucilage is high (6–13 g/kg fresh material). Mucilage concentration in summer is almost 2-fold higher than in winter. It reduces salivation in ruminants, which avoids a rapid decrease in rumen pH. Other soluble carbohydrate-rich feedstuffs, such as molasses, cause acidosis in the ruminant, because they are low in or free of mucilage. The neutral detergent fibre content varies from 18 to 30%. Acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin contents are from 12–20% and 1.5–4.0% respectively.
Use of cladodes as a feed can solve the problem of livestock watering, but attention should be paid to their high water content. Ruminants should not consumes large quantities of cladodes, which may lead to diarrhoea. It is therefore recommended to associate a fibrous feedstuff. Also, since cladodes are low in nitrogen and high in energy, it is vital to supplement them with sources rich in nitrogen. Inclusion of nitrogenous supplements (Atriplex nummularia foliage, oil seedmeals, urea) in cactus-containing diets is currently the most widely adopted option and good productivity responses have been observed in ruminants animals.
Unlike other fodder and forage crops which need to be stored as hay or silage, cactus is an evergreen crop and can be used round-the-year. Cactus cladodes can be cut and fed directly to animals (Figure 2). Cut-and-carry is the most commonly used technique for cactus feeding. It prevents wastage and excessive grazing. Cactus being rich in water, plays a crucial role in arid environments as a replacement for drinking water. In dry areas there is a scarcity of water and use of cactus as a feed synergises livestock production in such harsh environments.
Silage-making or drying is feasible, but entails additional costs in terms of handling, energy and labour. In South Africa, the focus of research has been on silage making or drying to make a feed for use as a component by the feed manufacturing industry; while in other countries such as Brazil and Tunisia, the use of fresh cactus for animal feeding is being promoted. Wasted cactus fruits could also be incorporated into the silage, which gives a better quality silage due to sugars present in them. Studies in South Africa showed that feeding dried (sun drying) cactus to beef animals does not affect carcass quality; and in Brazil feeding of a diet containing approx. 70% cactus and 30% concentrate can maintain a cow with daily milk yield of 20 litres. Cactus feeding has been shown to affect fatty acid composition of milk – reduced proportion of stearic and oleic acids, but did not affect other long chain fatty acids, such as linoleic (C18:2) and linolenic (C18:3) acids. Some evidence exists that cactus feeding to small ruminants resulted in increased proportions of linoleic, linolenic and conjugated linoleic acid in meat. Higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and higher PUFA to saturated fatty acids (SFA) ratio have also been observed. All these changes are considered to have human health benefitting effects.
The blocks containing urea as a source of nitrogen could also be made using cactus fruits and cladodes. These may be stored for use as animal feed during the summer periods when there is scarcity of feed. These blocks could also be used during emergency periods of severe droughts. A number of feeding studies have shown that cactus can improve the nutritive value of poor-quality diets for example crop residue based diets because of its high content of soluble carbohydrates. It also increases weight gain in small ruminants and heifers fed on crop residues or poor-quality pastures, provided that a small amount of a nitrogen source is included in the diet. Studies that replaced 12, 25, 38 and 51% of cracked corn and Cynodon hay by cactus in the diets of dairy cattle showed that cactus can totally replace cracked corn and partially replace the hay (ca 40%) without any significant effect on milk production (ca 20 litres per day). When cladodes are fed to sheep or cattle with a protein-rich feedstuff, they may replace barley grains or maize silage without affecting body weight gains of the animals. Further information on feeding of cactus containing diets and their impact on animals in different production systems is provided in the following presentation (made at the International Congress):
Performance of cactus as Fodder in Goat
Scarcity of fodder in India is the major challenge in raising animal production including small
ruminants like goat. Availability of feed and fodder is drastically reducing during drought period. The
small ruminants like Sheep and Goats are extensively grazed throughout the year. Arid and semi-arid
areas are characterized by limited resources, herbaceous and rare green forage production
particularly during hot summer season. Tree fodder form the major part of a diet for goats.
Nutrition of Cactus: —————
The Opuntia ficus indica is the most widely used species as animal feed world over. The cladodes consist mainly of water (> 85 %) on fresh weight basis depending on growth conditions. Despite of fact that cactus plants are high in carbohydrates and vitamin A, protein content is ranging from 5% to 9%. It is characterized by a high palatability, digestibility, high content of water, soluble carbohydrates, ash, Ca and K and vitamin A.
The potential of cactus as a feed in semi-arid areas is underutilized. To further enhance cactus utilization as animal feed, it is imperative to disseminate knowledge on multi-functionality of this crop for dryland areas; and develop it as a sustainable crop, for example by following agro-ecological principles. The food consumption pattern is changing – there is increase in consumption of animal products, vegetables and fruits. The livestock feed market is increasing at a very high rate and it involves fewer risks than the fruit and vegetable market, giving it a potential for entrepreneurial activity. Need is to develop business models around exploitation of various goods and services that cactus provides to an array of stakeholders from farmers to industries. It means involvement of all stakeholders in the livestock production chain, including producers, suppliers, retail stores, research and extension institutions, and policy-makers. There are tremendous opportunities to develop cactus-based livestock production systems. Cactus production and its use as animal feed provides win-win situations in all the sustainability dimensions. It has potential to contribute positively to addressing sustainability and climate change challenges, and to substantially contribute in achieving Sustainable Development .
