Effect of fruit thinning on fruit yield and quality of cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. in a semi-arid area

The aim of this work was to study the effect of fruit thinning on fruit yield and quality of cactus pear. To meet this objective, trials on fruit thinning were conducted on an adult plantation of cactus pear in a semi-arid region in southern Morocco. The fruit thinning consisted of reducing the fruit load of overcharged cladodes by reducing the number of fruits to 6 or 12 per cladode. It was practiced in early May on three types of one-year old cladodes (small cladodes, the medium ones and large cladodes), by removing some floral buds or young fruits at the flowering stage. The control cladodes had an average number of 18 fruits per cladode. Obtained results showed that the reduction in the load of cladodes improved fruit size and quality. In thinned plants to 6 fruits per cladode and for the three types of cladodes, average fruit weight was 160.44 g and average fruit length and diameter was 8.64 and 6.38 cm respectively. While in not thinned plants and for the three types of cladodes, average fruit weight was only 74.53 g and average fruit length and diameter was 6.40 and 4.46 cm respectively. Fruit thinning increased the content of sugar in the fruits and decreased the number of seeds in the fruits and the fruit peel thickness, but did not affect the juice content in the fruits and the pH and titratable acidity of the juice. Fruit thinning also improved the economic income of the yield and the gain in the yield of thinned plants to 6 fruits per cladode was 33912 DH per hectare compared to not thinned plants.