Climate change models predict that long-term droughts are becoming more frequent — meaning temperatures will likely continue to increase, while water becomes less available.
For many farmers and ranchers, that could spell disaster. Crops, such as rice, corn and soybeans, have an upper temperature limit. Alfalfa, Nevada’s number one cash crop, requires a lot more water than what might be available in the future.
However, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, have identified a surprising crop that could be not just a source of food and fodder but also a future fuel source. And it’s a plant that seems to grow just about anywhere ... whether that’s the arid deserts of the American West or the humid fields of the Southeast.
Cactus pears, otherwise known as Opuntia, have had a long history as a food source for both native and Hispanic peoples as well as fodder for animals. Now, the plant has taken on a new life that could help power a hotter, drier Mountain West while saving a lot of water.
"It has a high productivity, but very low water demands," said John Cushman, a professor in the Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology department of UNR’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources.
"It has about one-sixth the water demand of a typical C3 crop like rice, and about four times less water demand than a C4 crop like sorghum or maize," Cushman said, "and the biomass is at a point of production that can be converted to a variety of biofuels."
Currently, Mexico is among the largest producers of Cactus Pear. Hispanic and Native American cultures have relied on the plant for millennia. However, Cushman says ,the plant's popularity is growing worldwide.
"Other major areas where people are growing this at scale are South Africa and the Mediterranean basin, where it's highly prized for the fruit production," Cushman said. "There are lots of folks who are interested in bringing this to scale."
Scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno, have received a $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to find out whether cactus pear can become a viable biofuel crop. Over the next five years, the team will test hundreds of cactus pear varieties at sites from Arizona to Florida, measuring how much biomass they produce under different rainfall conditions.
Guests: John Cushman, professor, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, University of Nevada, Reno
