Location: Plant Physiology and Genetics Research
Project Number: 2020-21410-008-010-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2025
End Date: Aug 31, 2030
Objective:
The overall goal of this project is to understand how the high biomass productivity of cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) is possible, making it an excellent bioenergy feedstock for sustainable biomass production under hot and dry environmental conditions. To achieve this goal three aims will be pursued: 1) Investigate the basis of the high water-use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) of the national germplasm collection of ~300 spineless Opuntia spp. accessions. 2). Survey, characterize, and optimize the microbiome associated with these Opuntia spp. accessions to support increased plant productivity and vigor for sustainable biomass production with minimal inputs to preserve agroecosystem services. 3) Conduct integrative and predictive modeling to develop synthetic rhizosphere microbial consortia that result in plant-microbe-soil systems for maximal biomass production and carbon sequestration.
Approach:
California and Arizona are among the 4 locations to test opuntia genotypes. The experiments will be conducted at USDA-ARS NALPGRU located in Parlier, CA; and USDA ALARC located in Maricopa, AZ. Both sites are good representatives of semi-arid Southwestern suitable sites to grow and study a desert crop such as opuntia with less freezing risks and predict its potential for other expanding areas. The experiments will evaluate selected opuntia germplasm accessions to different levels of irrigations and fertilizers and collect traditional field and lab data coupled with remote sensing technologies to estimate and predict biomass, crop growth and development, and crop status.