FRUIT-QUALITY AND PRODUCTION OF CACTUS PEAR (OPUNTIA SPP) FRUIT CLONES SELECTED FOR INCREASED FROST HARDINESS

The principal limitation to cultivation of cactus for fruit in the sou th-western United States is lack of hardiness to freezing weather. Thi s field trial compared 22 Opuntia clones selected for increased cold h ardiness, fruit yield, and fruit quality, i.e. pH, sugar content and s eed content. Mexican accessions 1380, 1277, 1281 and 1300 had the high est yields averaging between 2.5 and 5.2 kg m(-2) while the Chilean cl ones had lower yields, yet greater sugar content and generally lower s eed contents. As there is considerable aversion by first time consumer s of cactus pears to seed size and number, we evaluated seed number, s eed weight per fruit and weight per seed. Our trial found a considerab le range in seed weight from 2.19 to 6.37 g fruit(-1). While the Chile an varieties had among the lowest seed weight per fruit (2.2 g fruit(- 1)) and were similar in seed weight to the recently reported BS1 parth enocarpic clones in Israel, a few Mexican varieties were comparable. I n summary, Chilean varieties were most promising for high sugar conten t and low seed weight per fruit. Mexican varieties with high yields di d not contain high sugar. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.