Who We Are
We are a nonprofit based in Las Vegas Nevada, that is committed to promoting spineless Opuntia (i.e. Prickly Pear Cactus) as a viable alternative to the farming of water intensive crops in the arid and semi-arid environments of the United States.
We see Opuntia as an innovative avenue for sustainable, regenerative agriculture, as well as durable and much needed means of carbon sequestration. We believe the farming of Opuntia presents an incredible opportunity for struggling agricultural economies to be revived in the arid southwest, highlighting one of our foremost goals: to support existing communities’ efforts to adapt to changing climates, and empower them to more efficiently and sustainably cultivate the land, to the benefit of all.
Why Opuntia?
Originating in the Americas, Opuntia is the most wide spread, domesticated and commercially imported cactus, farmed in scores of countries, with its spineless varieties growing in production and functionality. There are roughly 300 identified species within the genus Opuntia, only 15 of which are largely cultivated.
Opuntia is an unfortunately underutilized crop in the United States, one that has real potential to improve the resilience of agriculture in regions that are facing water scarcity, harsher droughts, higher temperatures, and the growing threat of desertification. As these conditions become more prevalent, transitioning to plants adapted to withstand extreme temperatures and survive drought conditions is a necessary step towards keeping animal husbandry systems and crop production viable in these environments.
Our aim is to increase awareness of these cacti as a reliable and profitable crop that has come to benefit agricultural economies throughout much of the arid and semi arid regions of the world, yet has been unfortunately disregarded in the United States, much to our disadvantage. As a high yielding crop with a plethora of uses, we see Opuntia as a real opportunity to revitalize and reimagine our agriculture in line with the ecosystems we cultivate.
Sustainable agriculture occurs where advantages to humans and their ecosystem intersect, where our practices can ensure the security of future generations, and healthy environments can support a healthy society. Opuntia has the amazing power to regenerate land degraded by intensive farming practices while facilitating vast amounts of carbon capture in largely treeless landscapes-for which we see a future role in the voluntary carbon market. The ecosystem services provided by these cacti also make them excellent prospects for general land management in desert regions where shade, wind and fire breaks can be utilized, and where not only soil health, but biodiversity can be improved by their establishment of wildlife corridors.
Commercial Uses of Opuntia
Consumables:
Fruit and pads (cladodes) of the Opuntia cactus are a staple in many diets throughout the world and growing in popularity. Mature cactus are able to produce 9-10 fruits/sq meter of cladode. Cactus orchards are capable of producing a yearly 7.5 tons of biomass per hectare per year, 3.4 of which lie in the canopy components of fruit and cladodes. (Oduor et al., 2024) Processed fruit and cladode products such as jam, drinks, cactus jerky, and various industrial products are also expanding rapidly through the market, yet sourced almost entirely from foreign agriculture.
Cattle and Livestock Fodder:
Opuntia’s growth cycle offers a continuously generated feedstock, available for use year round. It’s high water storage capability has through many semi-arid regions of the world, been utilized as reserve sources of water for livestock during drought periods. Pelletizing the pads is also an easy and cost efficient means of increasing the storage, transportation, and capabilities of the plant as a feedstock if not distributed fresh. Though nutrient supplementation would be needed to sufficiently support cattle diets, Opuntia provides opportunities for more self reliant ranching, and presents solutions to degraded rangelands and less reliable feedstocks such as alfalfa that have seen recent fluctuations in price. Current research also suggests that more cattle can be supported by one acre of Opuntia than alfalfa. (Pastorelli et al, 2022) There is also significant evidence to reduced methane emissions with the inclusion of Opuntia cactus in ruminant diets while aiding their digestion and water consumption. (Silva et al, 2025)
Renewable Energy:
This cactus’ high productivity and biomass potential can provide a reliable source of energy for biofuel production, working 24/7, as opposed to more intermittent sources like wind and solar. Biofuel is storable and transportable, and requires relatively low energy for processing.
Agrovoltaics:
Solar farming requires large amounts of land that can be easily managed for a dual purpose. Combining such land use to agriculture is an efficient and innovative means of maximizing the utilization of valuable arable land. Opuntia is a suitable species to plant adjacent to solar panels in desert conditions, providing new plants with shade and water runoff from the intermittent spraying of dust and debris off of the panels, common in desert solar farming operations.
Carbon curing and storage:
Opuntia’s high carbon sequestration and productive capability presents intriguing opportunities for carbon curing and usage in cementitious materials. This would create a carbon sink while greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in this highly chemical dependent industry responsible for 7% of current global CO2 emissions. It would at the same time reduce costs while significantly increasing the strength of the material through its integration as a bio additive.
Our Target Species
The Sabrana variety, belonging to a hybrid between O. ficus indica and O. lindheimeri has been extensively researched and found to be an incredibly temperature resilient, water efficient, sturdy and tall growing strain of Opuntia.
Improved by the University of Nevada, Reno, and tested along side 14 other species of Opuntia under semi-arid land conditions, this particular strain “showed superior biomass productivity and dry matter content (DMC) useful for forage, fodder, or biofuel production.” (Neupane et al., 2024)
Tissue Culture Micropropagation
Undertaken by Luther Burbank Agricultural Station in Coachella Valley, California
Tissue cultures collected from Clark County Cooperative Extension Service facilities location in Logandale, NV
Our Partnership With LBCAS
In May of 2022, we partnered with Luther Burbank Coachella Agricultural Station to undertake the first large scale Opuntia propagation effort in the US. 2,500 Opuntia tissue cultures were cloned have been cared for by LBCAS with the intention of planting a demonstrative farm in Southern Nevada for further research and cladode propagation.
LBCAS is a testament to it’s inspiration Luther Burbank, famed for his agricultural and botanical expertise in the early 1900s, hybridizing countless species that would change the face of US agriculture for next century and beyond. You may know him for the Russet Burbank Potato, however one of his greatest developments were to that of the spineless prickly pear cactus, recognizing its potential for food and animal fodder in arid and semi arid regions.
We are honored to have LBCAS’ support in carrying on Luther Burbank’s passion for these remarkable plants and his drive to improve and adapt our food and agricultural systems in how they relate to the environments we seek to farm.