Effect of NP fertilizing on fruit yield and fruit quality of cactus pear

The goal of this research work was to study the effect of NP fertilizing on fruit yield and fruit quality of cactus pear ‘Moussa’ grown in Agadir area. Treatments of fertilization used were (in kgN-kgP2O5/ha): T1: 0N-0P, T2: 0N-80P, T3: 40N-40P, T4: 60N-0P and T5: 60N-80P. They were applied in April 2011 and repeated in February 2012. Obtained results showed that fruit yield was higher in treatments fertilized in N and fruit size was higher in treatments fertilized in P. In the first year (2010-2011), fruit yield was higher in T5 (20 kg/plant) than in the other treatments (14-18 kg/plant). Fruit weight was higher in T5 (146.04 g) than in the other tratments (132.48-141.79 g). In the second year (2011-2012), fruit yield was higher in T5 (32 kg/plant) than in not or less fertilized treatments (20 kg/plant in T2 and 17 kg in T1). The fruit size of T5 and T2 (176.01 g and 160.24 respectively in weight) were higher than that of the other treatments (148.39 g in T4 and 120.67 g in T1). Chemical analysis of the fruits showed that the organoleptic characters of the fruits (rate in juice, pH, titratable acidity, Brix degree, total sugars) were different between treatments of fertilization and the years of experiments.