Mycorrhiza efffect on nutritional quality and biomass production of Agave (Agave americana L.) and cactus pear (Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm.)

An experiment was conducted in Marin, Nuevo Leon, Mexico to evaluate nutritional quality and biomass production of agave (Agave americana L.) and cactus pear (Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm.), including inoculation with commercial and native mycorrhiza under non–irrigated land conditions. A field experiment was carried out under a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with two inoculants (commercial and native) and these two species. Treatments were distributed randomly within three blocks. Plants were seeded on April, 2006 and data collected on April, 2007. Studied variables were biomass production and contents of crude protein (CP), neutral–detergent fiber (NDF), ash, calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P). We observed a (p<0.05) significant interaction between CP and NDF. Commercial inoculation was better in agave than in cactus pear, but native inoculation was best in cactus pear. Biomass production, ash and P contents were greater (p<0.05) in agave than in cactus pear. Inoculation type alone did not affect these variables. Calcium levels did not reach significant (p<0.05) differences between inoculation levels or between species. Results showed higher forage quality and biomass production in agave than in cactus pear.

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