Opuntia Cactus for Food, Fuel and Carbon Sequestration -- the New Paradigm of Desert Power
The Carbon Cactus Foundation is an innovative non profit with the foresight to understand the vast potential of improved Opuntia fruiting cactus for carbon sequestration combined with production of numerous products. This includes fruit (fresh and processed), vegetable products, medicines, biomass, and biofuel, all from a multi-purpose desert plant.
Considering current fuel prices, producing biofuel with a water saving crop on arid lands is an outstanding concept whose time has come.
Proper densities of Opuntia orchards yield as much carbon sequestration as forests, with a small fraction of water usage. Carbon credits, combined with many marketable products, creates an attractive crop for growers in desert and dryland regions.
Given the serious deficits in Colorado river irrigation water, developing new viable drought tolerant crops is crucial for Nevada, California, and Arizona.
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Opuntia Offers a Permanent Carbon Sequestration Solution
Carbon capture by most plants and forests is temporary -- as the plant matter decomposes, carbon dioxide is cycled back into the atmosphere. Most significantly, Opuntia also stores carbon dioxide in the form of calcium carbonate (limestone calcite crystals), which acts as a permanent carbon storage mechanism.
Opuntia sequesters carbon using four storage methods: Permanently in calcite crystals, organic acids from its unique desert CAM metabolism, the fibrous skeleton within the plant, and carbohydrates.
Such synergy makes this unique cactus a powerhouse of carbon sequestration. Combined with the production of food, medicines and fuel, Opuntia creates a new paradigm and meaning for Desert Power.
Electron micrograph of calcium carbonate (calcite limestone) crystals in the Opuntia plant.
The Crucial Step for Increased Opuntia Cultivation
We are pleased to announce that LBCAS has partnered with the Carbon Cactus Foundation, on the first large scale Opuntia propagation effort in the U.S. Micropropagation (tissue culture) of 2500 Opuntia plants represents an exciting beginning, with the goal of eventually planting thousands of acres to establish a new model for low input sustainable desert agriculture and processing.
Carbon Cactus Foundations's propagation of the improved and researched Sabrana variety at LBCAS
A Proven and Productive Variety
Sabrana is the target propagation variety -- Improved and highly researched with strong growth, quality fruit, and high biofuel plus carbon sequestration potential. In addition, LBCAS is collaborating with the Carbon Cactus Foundation by providing traditional cladode (pad) propagation of the same superior variety.
Opuntia ficus-Indica var. Sabrana
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