LIRA, E. C., ARAÚJO, J. S., FELIX, E. S., NASCIMENTO, G. V., FILHO, T. J. OLIVEIRA, SOUZA, J. T. A., and PEREIRA, D. D.
The objective was to evaluate the development of forage cactus varieties resistant to carmine cochineal intercropped with annual crops. The experiment was carried out at the INSA experimental station in Campina Grande, Paraiba state, Brazil. It was conducted in a intercropped system, using 3 varieties of palm, Mexican elephant ear, Baiana and Miúda, intercropped with Corn and Sorghum in a rainfed system. A randomized block design in split plots with 3 replications was used. The evaluations in the forage cactos and in the intercropping cultures occurred 90 days after planting. For the cactos forage, plant height, plant width, number of cladodes per plant, length, cladode width, cladode perimeter, cladode thickness, active photosynthetic area and cladode area were evaluated and for sorghum and corn it was evaluated plant height, diameter, green mass productivity and dry mass productivity. At 90 days after planting, it was found that among the palm varieties, the Mexican elephant ear stood out, presenting significant values for AP and LP. For PMV productivity, an average of 12.265 Kg ha-1 and 9.973 Kg ha-1 were obtained for sorghum and corn. Regarding the productivity of sorghum PMS, it is observed that there was a significant difference between the intercropped, with higher values in the intercropped with the Miúda cactus, 7.095 kg ha-1 and lower in Baiana with 4.415 kg ha-1. The Mexican elephant ear variety stood out in relation to the others in all parameters and sorghum was the most productive joined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]