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Study shows cactus pear as drought-tolerant crop for sustainable fuel and food

Cactus crops remove carbon from the atmosphere, provide biofuel, food and livestock feed

Tiffany Kozsan

Among three cactus varieties researched by the University as drought-tolerant crops for biofuel, Opuntia ficus-indica produced the most fruit while using up to 80% less water than some traditional crops. Photo by John Cushman.

Cactus pear researchers John Cushman (left) and Carol Bishop (right).

Could cactus pear become a major crop like soybeans and corn in the near future, and help provide a biofuel source, as well as a sustainable food and forage crop? According to a recently published study, researchers in our College believe the plant, with its high heat tolerance and low water use, may be able to provide fuel and food in places that previously haven’t been able to grow much in the way of sustainable crops.

As part of the College’s Experiment Station unit, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Professor John Cushman and his team recently published the results of a five-year study on the use of spineless cactus pear as a high-temperature, low-water commercial crop. The study, funded by the Experiment Station and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, was the first long-term field trial of Opuntia species in the U.S. as a scalable bioenergy feedstock to replace fossil fuel.

Results of the study, which took place at the Experiment Station’s Southern Nevada Field Lab in Logandale, Nevada, showed that Opuntia ficus-indica had the highest fruit production while using up to 80% less water than some traditional crops. Co-authors included Carol Bishop, with the College’s Extension unit, postdoctoral research scholar Dhurba Neupane, and graduate students Nicholas Alexander Niechayev and Jesse Mayer.

Bishop, Extension educator for Northeast Clark County, and her team, which includes Moapa Valley High School students, continue to help maintain and harvest the more than 250 cactus pear plants still grown at the field lab in Logandale. In addition, during the study, the students gained valuable experience helping to spread awareness about the project, its goals, and the plant’s potential benefits and uses. They produced videos, papers, brochures and recipes; gave tours of the field lab; and held classes, including harvesting and cooking classes.

Extension: A vital investment to improve lives of Nevadans

Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Ivory W. Lyles, in The Nevada Independent 

Ivory W. Lyles, director of Extension and associate dean for engagement with the College (left), and Marilyn Kirkpatrick, chair of the Clark County Commission and president of the Nevada Association of Counties (right), urge lawmakers to invest in Extension.

There’s no question that Nevada’s lawmakers are facing difficult decisions regarding how to shape a state budget in the wake of a global pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. When determining how best to fund the recovery and create a stronger future, legislators should consider investing in statewide programs with a proven record of improving the lives of all Nevadans, in rural, suburban, urban and inner-city communities alike, starting with Extension.

While many Nevadans might not be familiar with the name “Extension,” they are almost certainly beneficiaries of its programs. A unique county-state-federal partnership, Extension empowers farmers, ranchers, small business owners and entrepreneurs, parents, youth, seniors, and communities of all sizes to meet critical challenges like adapting to changing technologies, improving nutrition and food safety, preparing for and responding to emergencies, protecting our environment, educating our youth and preparing them for college and careers, and much more.

With local offices in nearly every Nevada county, and five in Clark County with another one planned, Extension and its employees provide Nevada residents with research-based information and educational programs that have a lasting impact.

Many of the programs were developed as a result of the unique partnership between Extension and Nevada’s 17 counties.  This partnership is at the heart of the University’s three-part, land-grant mission: engagement, research and teaching. It is this partnership that is now being threatened in the face of economic challenges.

Extension seeks 4-H club leaders to help teach youth life skills and leadership

4-H members are five times more likely to graduate from college

Tiffany Kozsan

4-H Staff in Douglas and Washoe Counties, and Carson City, are seeking leaders for many 4-H clubs, including rabbit and other small animal clubs. Photo by Shannon Montana.

Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program is looking for volunteers to serve as 4-H club leaders. Clubs offer community members the opportunity to encourage youth ages 5 to 18 to pursue interests and gain skills in communications, leadership, civic engagement and healthy living.

In 4-H clubs, youth learn skills beyond the subject matter, such as learning math when doubling a recipe, learning responsibility when caring for an animal, and learning business skills when serving as a club officer. 4-H clubs also provide youth with a chance to build positive relationships with peers and adults.

Giving back to the Pack

College launches crowdfunding campaign

Hannah Alfaro

The College is raising money to aid students during a challenging year.

Chayse Baker.

After receiving a substantial amount of requests for emergency funds, the College has launched a crowdfunding campaign to aid students in need.

To support as many students as possible during this difficult time, the College has created the College’s Student Emergency Fund. All funds raised during this crowdfunding campaign will provide undergraduate and graduate students with crucial support needed to continue their University education.

Aiming to help aid students in the face of challenges associated with COVID-19, the College offered limited emergency funds in January. Although nearly 170 students were awarded funds of $300, the College received over 300 applications for emergency funds and expects to continue to receive additional requests as the semester goes on.

"Receiving support from this fund will have a tremendous impact on my life," Chayse Baker, an undergraduate student in the College, said in his application. "I lost my previous job during the pandemic, [and] I have been doing my best to budget and manage my finances accordingly, [but] have been feeling anxious …. With this fund, it will certainly relieve some of [my family's] anxiety."

In addition to Baker, at least 22% of the students requesting aid specifically mentioned COVID-19 or unemployment in their applications. In many cases, a small amount of support can make a large impact on the life of a student, enabling them not only to buy textbooks and school supplies, but also provide them with basic needs, such as food and rent.

Associate professor studies historical landscapes to prepare for future

Lesley Morris joins the Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences

Hannah Alfaro

Lesley Morris is studying the history of Nevada landscapes to better inform current land use practices.

Lesley Morris has joined the College as an associate professor of rangeland ecology & management in the Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences. She is also a faculty member in the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology doctoral program.

In addition to teaching classes in rangeland ecosystems and range and forest administration, Morris has also been conducting research in historical ecology, which is the study of how lands change over time, in part due to human use. She specializes in work on land use legacies, or the mark left on landscapes after agricultural or developmental use.

As part of the College’s Experiment Station unit, Morris is investigating the legacies left behind in Nevada by dryland farming, a method of farming that uses drought-resistant crops without the aid of irrigation, and by growing crested wheatgrass. She is also planning to research the land use legacies of green strips, which are strips of land where plants that are more resistant to fire are grown to slow the speed of wildfires.

In addition, Morris is hoping to collaborate with her colleagues in Extension and Oregon State University to gather and distribute information to ranch owners to ensure they are prepared for rangeland fires.