Uses of Opuntia species and the potential impact of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Mexico
By A. G., L. Portillo. 2001
83 citations recorded by the source corpus.
In Mexico, cactus pears (Opuntia spp.) are regarded as very important plants, especially in semi-arid and arid regions where few crops can be cultivated. Historically, Mexicans have used cactus pears for food, as fodder for cattle, for medicinal purposes, in cosmetics, to produce dyes, and as natural fences. Cactus pears are also an important component of native ecosystems. Central Mexico is considered to be one of the main centers of cactus diversity. Approximately 200 species of Opuntia are recognized worldwide, 114 of which occur in Mexico. Because most Opuntia species are thought to be susceptible to attack by the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg), spread of this moth into Mexico would likely have significant economic and social impacts. A number of the most widely used and/or distributed species, including O. compressa Macbride, O. ficus-indica (L.) Miller, O. megacantha Salm-Dyck, O. stricta (Haw.) Haworth and O. tomentosa Salm-Dyck, are known hosts of the cactus moth.
Subfields: Food Science, Insect Science, Plant Science
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/7e50e0143e59e1f742359aaea646dbe7b20a50db
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Citations in the corpus
- The sterile insect technique as a component of sustainable area-wide integrated pest management of selected horticultural insect pests (2006, background): “Furthermore, Opuntia has long been used by local populations in regional cuisine, in traditional medicine, as a source of shade, and in constructing fences (Vigueras and Portillo, 2001).”
- Proximate composition, phenolic acids, and flavonoids characterization of commercial and wild nopal (Opuntia spp.) (2010, background): “The main commercial variety is Opuntia ficus-indica, which has fewer spines (Vigueras and Portillo, 2001).”