02151naa a2200241 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000270006024501880008726000090027552013520028465000190163665000300165565000100168570000230169570000230171870000300174170000230177170000200179470000240181470000230183877300480186121300642022-10-07 2021 bl uuuu u00u1 u #d1 aJARDIM, A. M. da R. F. aIntercropping forage cactus and sorghum in a semi-arid environment improves biological efficiency and competitive ability through interspecific complementarity.h[electronic resource] c2021 aThe intercropping systems of species adapted to conditions of water deficit, such as sorghum (Sorghum spp.) and forage cacti (Nopalea spp. and Opuntia spp.), can contribute to an improvement in the biomass yield of semi-arid agricultural areas. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of intercropping cactus and sorghum as well as the biological efficiency and competitive ability of forage cactus clones and sorghum cultivars. The experiment was carried out in the Brazilian semi-arid region, in a randomised block design with 15 treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of three forage cactus clones (?IPA Sert? ania??IPA, ?Miúda??Miu and ?Orelha de Elefante Mexicana??OEM) and three sorghum cultivars (?467?, ?SF11? and ?2502?) under single configuration and the maximum number of combinations to comprise the intercropping systems. In terms of fresh and dry matter (221.73 and 47.04 Mg ha− 1 , respectively), the cactus-sorghum intercropping was 47% and 3.5 times more productive in terms of fresh and dry matter than the cactus single systems, with no effect on the quality of the forage. The forage cactus clones were dominant over the sorghum cultivars. The OEM-?467? configuration offered better stability (lower mortality), biological efficiency and crop competitiveness when compared to the single systems. aForage quality aConsorciação de Cultura aSorgo1 aSILVA, T. G. F. da1 aSOUZA, L. S. B. de1 aARAÚJO JÚNIOR, G. do N.1 aALVES, H. K. M. N.1 aSOUZA, M. de S.1 aARAUJO, G. G. L. de1 aMOURA, M. S. B. de tJournal of Arid Environmentsgv. 188, 2021.