Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Funding Source

Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Program (URMP)

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

The Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) cycle is a unique photosynthetic process where CO2 is fixed during the day and the stomata open at night, minimizing water loss. Plants that undergo CAM photosynthesis thrive in arid and semi-arid regions, which are limited by low quantities of nutrients in the soil and water availability, due to low rainfall and high evapotranspiration rates. Prickly Pear Cactus, is a CAM crop used as feedstock in established arid and semi-arid regions and is a staple in many central and south American diets. With agricultural lands becoming increasingly arid globally, replacing low water use efficiency (WUE) crops with high WUE crops is essential for water conservation and sustainable agricultural practices. Crops like the Prickly Pear Cactus could help mitigate the effects of climate change. The dramatic variance in growth between unfertilized and fertilized shows that nutrients are an important aspect when modeling CAM crops for agricultural purposes. Prickly Pear Cactus was able to increasingly utilize the added nitrogen fertilizer, increasing biomass by over 62% when compared to the non-fertilized data. Based on the shape of the curve, it is seen that ranges of concentrations cause plateaus in the growth. This is economically important to note, as certain fertilizer regimes can produce similar results, helping to cut costs for large scale agriculture.

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