‘Reyna’ (Syn. ‘Alfajayucan’) is the Leading Cactus Pear Cultivar in Central México

Abstract

National cactus pear ( Opuntia amyclaeaTenore) consumption is dominated by the white fleshed variety ‘Reyna’ or ‘Alfajayucan,’ which is an alternative crop for regions regularly affected by drought, where chronic losses in traditional crops such as maize, beans, wheat and barley are serious economic hardship to farmers. Its wide range of adaptation, stability, and outstanding fruit quality expressed as size, thin peel, reduced seed number, juiciness and sweetness, has made it the most popular variety among growers and consumers, However, its relatively thin peel demands special management practices after harvest. Even though ‘Reyna’ is susceptible to Alternaria spp (‘Fiebre del oro’) and to low winter temperatures, it accounts for 36% of the cactus pear production in Mexico (4).