Ecological niche modelling for climate suitability of spineless fodder cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) in semi-arid and arid regions of India

Abstract

Spineless cactus pear [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.] is a promising subtropical non-conventional fodder crop in India. Ecological niche modelling studies using the maximum entropy approach has been used to assess the suitable cactus growing regions in India. The dataset for cactus pear presence locations was obtained from various centres. WorldClim dataset representing current and future climate was downloaded from http:// www.worldclim.org.  The cactus presence locations dataset and WorldClim dataset were used with Maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modelling to generate the climate suitability map to show potential growing sites in India.  The generated maps indicated that potential regions for the cultivation of cactus exist in several states of India viz., Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. The outcome of the study would help in managing cactus pear genetic resources in the country to meet the challenges of climate change and fodder production.