Opuntia ficus-indica

O. ficus-indica are consumed widely as food.[2] The fruits are widely commercialized in many parts of the world, eaten raw, and have one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C of any fruit.[2] The leaves (or cladodes) are cooked and eaten as a vegetable known as nopalitos.[2] They are sliced into strips, skinned or unskinned, and fried with eggs and jalapeños, served as a breakfast treat. They have a texture and flavor like string beans. The fruits or leaves can be boiled, used raw, or blended with fruit juice, cooked on a frying pan, and used as a side dish with chicken, or added to tacos. Jams and jellies are produced from the fruit, which resemble strawberries and figs in color and flavor.[2] Mexicans may use Opuntia as an alcoholic drink called colonche.[7]

In Sicily, a prickly pear-flavored liqueur called ficodi is produced, flavored somewhat like a medicinal aperitif. In Malta, a liqueur called bajtra (the Maltese name for prickly pear) is made from this fruit, which can be found growing wild in most every field. On the island of Saint Helena, the prickly pear also gives its name to locally distilled liqueur, Tungi Spirit.

The cattle industry of the Southwest United States has begun to cultivate O. ficus-indica as a fresh source of feed for cattle.[2][8] The cactus is grown both as a feed source and a boundary fence. Cattle are fed the spineless variety of the cactus.[8] The cactus pads are low in dry matter and crude protein, but useful as a supplement in drought conditions. In addition to the food value, the moisture content adequately eliminates watering the cattle during drought.[8] Numerous wildlife species use the prickly pear for food.[8]

Opuntia ficus-indica are planted in hedges to provide a cheap but effective erosion control in the Mediterranean basin. Under those hedges and adjacent areas soil physical properties, nitrogen and organic matter are considerably improved. Structural stability of the soil is enhanced, runoff and erosion are reduced, while water storage capacity and permeability is enhanced.[9] Prickly pear plantations also have a positive impact on plant growth of other species by improving severe environmental conditions which facilitate colonization and development of herbaceous species.[10]

Opuntia ficus-indica is being advantageously used in Tunisia and Algeria to slow and direct sand movement and enhance the restoration of vegetative cover, minimizing deterioration of built terraces with its deep and strong rooting system.[11]

The plant may be used as an ingredient in adobe to bind and waterproof roofs.[4] O. ficus-indica (as well as other species in Opuntia and Nopalea) is cultivated in nopalries to serve as a host plant for cochineal insects, which produce desirable red and purple dyes,[2] a practice dating to the pre-Columbian era.[12]

Mucilage from prickly pear may work as a natural, non-toxic dispersant for oil spills.[13]

In Mexico there is a semi-commercial pilot plant for biofuel production from opuntia biomass, in operation since 2016.[14]

Opuntia ficus-indica (Indian fig) in Secunderabad, India.

Opuntia Ficus-Indica in Behbahan, Iran

A commercial use for O. ficus-indica is for the large, sweet fruits, called tunas. Areas with significant tuna-growing cultivation include Mexico, the Mediterranean Basin, Middle East and northern Africa.[15] The cactus grows wild and cultivated to heights of 12–16 feet (3.7–4.9 m). In Namibia, O. ficus-indica is a common drought-resistant fodder plant.[16] O. ficus-indica grows in many frost-free areas of the world, including the southern United States.[17]

The plant is considered an invasive species in northern Africa.[2] Factors that limit the growth of prickly pear are rainfall, soil, atmospheric humidity and temperature.[18] The minimum rainfall requirement is 200mm per year as long as the soils are sandy and deep. The ideal growth conditions when it comes to rainfall are 200–400 millimetres (7.9–15.7 in) per year.[9]

O. ficus-indica is sensitive to lack of oxygen in the root zone, requiring well-drained soils.[9] Opuntia ficus-indica is similar to CAM species which are not salt-tolerant in their root zone where growth may cease under high salt concentration.[9] O. ficus-indica grows usually in regions where relative humidity is above 60% and saturation deficit occurs.[9] O. ficus-indica is absent in regions where there is less than 40% humidity for more than a month.[18] Mean daily temperature required to develop is at least 1.5-2 °C. At −10 to −12 °C, prickly pear growth is inhibited even if it is exposed to these temperatures only for a few minutes. The maximum temperature limit of prickly pear is above 50 °C.[9]

The fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica

As the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica are delicate, they need to be carefully harvested by hand. The small spines on the fruits are removed by rubbing them on an abrasive surface or sweeping them through grass. Before consumption, they are peeled and sliced.[19]

The pads of the plant (mainly used as fodder) also need to be harvested by hand. The pads are cut with a knife, detaching the pad from the plant in the joint. If Opuntia ficus-indica is cultivated for forage production, spineless cultivars are preferred. However, also wild types of the plants are used as fodder. In these cases, the spines need to be removed from the pads to avoid damage to the animals. Mostly, this is achieved by burning the spines off the pads.[6]