Cactus as Crop Plant ― Physiological Features, Uses and Cultivation

Today, the stems of edible Opuntia are consumed as vegetables, cattle food, and processed food, in addition to being used for raw materials in cosmetics and medical supplies in various countries, including the Mediterranean, South America, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, showing their wide adaptability to various climate zones ranging from arid, semiarid to temperate zones. In a time when global warming and population growth requires an urgent response, there is intense demands in crops like edible Opuntia, which are stress-resistant to extreme environments (e.g., high temperature, dryness) and can be grown in large volumes. Thus, Edible Opuntia have promising potential not only to become general crop consumed globally but also to serve as a model plant for deciphering the mechanisms of their special properties. However, their existence and their traits as crop are not well-known at the global level compared with other global crops. This review explains the physiological features, uses and cultivation technologies including soil and hydroponic culture of edible Opuntia with recent researches.