ABSTRACT:
In India, a significant portion of the population has settled in dry rain-fed areas that need perennial vegetation to protect them from erosion. The use of drought tolerant and economically viable plants appears to be an option to sustain livelihoods, reduce poverty and create employment opportunities. Prickly pear is drought tolerant due to its carbon dioxide fixation pathway (CAM), well suited to dry zones where it can be used as an alternative food and fodder as well as a hedge to protect agricultural fields. In the seventh century, the British introduced cacti to India to produce cochineal dye, but these plantations gradually disappeared due to pests and flooding of the areas. Recent attempts to introduce the cultivated cactus pear began in the late 1980s. In addition to the adaptation trials, some other aspects have been studied in the country: plant productivity, nutritional aspects, salinity tolerance, fruit quality, etc., which are briefly described in this article.