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.
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- X International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal: 70. Control of pest cactus and cactus pests in Africa and reproduction performance of Dactylopius opuntiae
- X International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal: 71. Control of pest cactus and cactus pests in Africa
- X International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal: 72. Effect of tree tobacco leaf extracts on mortality rate of carmine cochineal
- X International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal: 73. Dactylopius coccus Costa pest of beles, and ways for sustainable pest management and development in Tigray, Ethiopia
- X International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal: 74. For an agroecological management of Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae)
- X International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal: 75. Cactus – the New Green Revolution in Drylands: Functional response of the lady beetle, Hyperaspis trifurcata preying upon Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae)
- Combining Leucaena Hay and Cactus Pear for Crossbred Steers’ Diets
- How to make Nopal Flour
- The carbon-capturing potential of Opuntia species.
- Carbon Capturing Mechanisms in Opuntia
- Cactus Feeding & Rotational Grazing: A Sustainable Trend in Ranching
- Prickly Pear the drought-resistant crop
- Were we are – Monti Iblei Syracuse
- Opuntia Cactus: The Solution to Camel Herders’ Nutrition Challenge
- What is Micropropagation
- Exporting endemic Opuntia from Mexico
- Professor Paolo Inglese University of Palermo
- Unlocking the Potential of Opuntia Ficus Indica: Prof. Stefano La Malfa
- San Cono’s Secret
- The magic of the Fico d’India
- Prof. Jose Dubeux a Pioneer in Promoting Sustainable Use of Cacti
- USE of LED Lights for growing Cactus
- A Beacon of Hope for Adigrat University and Sustainable Agriculture
- Who is Djalma Cordeiro Dos Santos?
- About Orelha de Elefante Clones
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- Biomass – Opuntia – What we do and offer
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