Opuntia Forage (Opuntia Ficus-Indica L), Response to Solarized Cattle Manure Amendments in Four Plant Densities

Enrique Salazar-Sosa ,Hector Idilio Trejo-Escareno, Jose Dimas Lopez-Martinez, Maria de Lourdes Gonzalez Betancourt, Ana Alejandra Valenzuela Garcia, Jose Antonio Chavarria Galicia

Three doses of solarized manure (20, 40, 60 t ha-1) and a control (zero application) and an additional chemical treatment (100-100-00 of Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K)) at four densities of opuntia plantation (4435, 8871, 8887 and 13 323 plants ha-1) were evaluated.  The experiment was established in the Agricultural Experimental field of the Juarez University of Durango State in 2008, 2009 and 2010, with the main objective to determine the best dose of solarized manure and opuntia density plantation in a clay arid soil. The results show higher production in the treatment of 60 t ha-1 of solarized manure with 29, 66.3 and 43 t ha-1 for 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively; the density of 13 323 plants ha-1 is the most productive with 35.6, 77.6 and 57.9 t ha-1 for each year of study, changes in forage production were affected by climate condition (frost and hail) mainly in the third year. In regards to the thickness and length of cladodes, 60 t ha-1 manure doses and 13 323 plant density ha-1 showed the highest values. The organic matter in the soil at the end of the experiment increased in respect to the beginning values from 2 to 2.29% in 40 to 60 t ha-1 manure treatments, being 2.29% the highest. The electrical conductivity remain in the start values of 1.5 and 1.7 dSm-1 in manure treatments, witnesses decreased in to 1.3 dSm-1. The highest content of nitrates by the end of the experiment was 7.1 mg kg-1 in the treatment of 60 t ha-1 of solarized manure so, solarized manure is a good alternative for nutrient crop production and to save the use of chemical fertilizer by farmers.