Background:

Periods of drought in the Sonoran Desert increase interest in crops with a smaller water footprint. Stenocereus thurberi is an alternative, including economic benefits for the residents.

Hypothesis:

Vegetative propagation of Stenocereus thurberi stems with differentiated floral areoles for productive purposes will demonstrate high survival, considering seasonal patterns, metabolic activity, and CO2 assimilation, reflecting the adaptability, resistance, and productivity of the species.

Study species:

Stenocereus thurberi.

Study site and dates:

Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico; 2014.

Methods:

Survival of vegetative propagated stems, metabolic heat production (CM) of reproductive areoles, integrated daily light interception (LDI), and instantaneous CO2 assimilation were evaluated.

Results:

The vegetatively transplanted stems showed a survival of 100 %, an annual vegetative growth of 9.3 ± 0.6 cm, and a production of 2.0 ± 0.8 fruits per stem. The highest LDI amount was recorded in May (27.2 mol m-2 d-1) and the west side (23.4 mol m-2 d-1). The reproductive areoles showed the highest CM production in May with 2 µW mg-1 dry weight (ps) and the highest energy expenditure with 1,759.6 kJ mol-1. The lowest respiratory rate of the areolas occurred in June with 0.003 nmol s-1 mg-1 dw. The rates of greatest CO2 assimilation occurred in March, September, and October with 6.3, 3.8, and 6.5 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1, respectively.

Conclusions:

It is possible to reproduce pitayas vegetatively from stems with differentiated reproductive areoles for productive purposes, promoting an efficient cultivation with low water consumption and economic potential.

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