Biomass – Opuntia – What we do and offer

Our Mission

Our primary goal is to promote the cultivation of Opuntia and related genera for biomass production. We strive to achieve this through the supply of high-quality cactus plantlets of the most suitable varieties.

In Vitro Cultivation

Our Opuntia plantlets are exclusively obtained from in vitro culture to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, as well as to meet the high demand for propagation material needed for intensive plantations.

Research Collaboration

We are currently collaborating with the Catania University Agricultural Department in Italy (Prof. Stefano La Malfa) and the University of Florida – IFAS (Jose C. B. Dubeux Jr., Assistant Professor – Forage and Grazing Management) to research various aspects of Opuntia and related species exploitation.

Micropropagation Technique

We use a micropropagation technique with bioreactors and liquid substrates, which offers several advantages compared to traditional propagation techniques:

• Significant reduction in time and space required
• Possibility of obtaining a large number of plants from a few explants
• Production of individuals that are identical to each other and the parent plant

Our plantlets are pest-free, clean, and have never had contact with soil. This makes it easier to obtain export/import permissions and distribute them to semi-arid areas worldwide. Local nurseries can then multiply the plants without spreading regional pests.

Applications

Our plantlets can be used for subsistence and industrial farming for animal feed, biomass production for energy, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Indigenous Species Multiplication

We can develop protocols for in vitro multiplication of indigenous Opuntia and Nopales species, enabling the cleaning of adapted local varieties for further in vivo multiplication.

Cochineal Resistance

Our main focus in recent years has been to gain access to varieties resistant to cochineal. We currently have one Opuntia and one Nopales variety in our micropropagation production that are highly resistant to cochineal.

Multiplication Potential

Our plants have a multiplication potential of 1:40 in four months, starting with controlled in vivo and/or greenhouse multiplication in your country. This means that 10,000 plantlets can lead to about 400,000 small plants for your in-field plantation once they reach 20 cm in height.

Consultancy and Support

We provide consultancy on Opuntia and Nopales plantation techniques and have worldwide connections to institutes that can analyze cactus cladodes for optimal animal feeding. We can also provide solutions for the necessary additional components for feeding animals with cactus cladodes.

Field Testing

Our varieties are currently being field-tested and locally multiplied in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Uganda. We will have the results available in 6 to 8 months. We also have ongoing field tests with CNR (Centro Nazionale Ricerche) in Italy to determine the quantity of biogas produced with local Opuntia Ficus Indica species.

Farm Layout and Techniques

The high water content of the cladodes makes logistics a determining factor in farm layout. We support worldwide harvesting and grazing techniques to optimize farm operations.