The research was conducted in Apompuá, Diriamba and Las Esquinas, San Marcos, Carazo, Nicaragua, in 2013 and ended in 2015. The agroecosystems of nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Miller) intercropped were evaluated with cushaw pumpkin (Cucurbita argyrosperma Huber), amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.), tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius Gray), pignut (Hyptis suaveolens L. Poit), sweet potatoes (Ipomea batatas L.) and cassava (Manihot esculenta Grantz); in addition to ancestral knowledge of small farmers interviewed. In the research of agroecosystems were evaluated the survival, number, width and length of cladodes; plant height, length of the vines, and yield; in the record of knowledge were evaluated the general data, degree of knowledge about plant its cultivation and perception of the importance of ancestral crops and techniques. Nopal survived 100 %.
The number of cladodes per plant in the intercroped nopal agroecosystems varying from 5 with cassava and white beans to 2 with cushaw pumpkin and chan in Apompuá; from 2 with amaranth to 1 with the rest in Las Esquinas. The analysis of the performance of the interactions of the agroecosystems of both localities placed them in five groups, the first with white beans (8 288 kg ha-1) in Apompuá, the second with sweet potatoes (7 548.25 kg ha-1), and the fifth with tepary bean and pignut (1 091 and 531 kg ha-1) in Las Esquinas. The general average of the yield by location did not show significant difference, with 2 893.71 kg ha-1 of difference between Ampompuá and Las Esquinas. In agroecosystems were advantageous the UET values of 3.04 to 1.23 (all) in Apompuá, and those of 1.40 and 1.11 in Las Esquinas. 19 ancestral techniques were collected in Diriamba and in San Marcos 6. The crops that the interviewees sow the most in cushaw pumpkin, cassava and tepary bean by 63.89, 36.11 and 25 % in Diriamba; cassava, cushaw pumpkin and sweet potato by 58.82, 41.18 and 23.53 % in San Marcos.
Based on my reading of the Spanish, Nopal grown with native Amaranth demonstrated the highest cladode growth rate:
En Las Esquinas el agroecosistema nopal asociado con amaranto se ubicó con el mayor número de brotes; en este agroecosistema el cultivo del amaranto fue afectado por plagas deteniendo su crecimiento después de los 50 días, exponiendo que en esta asociación probablemente tuvo un efecto biorremediador en el suelo, hizo intercambiable el contenido de materia orgánica; porque Jarquín, Lagos y Blanco (2012) en esta misma localidad en nopal como monocultivo, encontraron que “la aplicación de compost no generó significancia estadística en cuanto al número de brotes” (p.93), en un suelo cafetalero donde anteriormente hubo uso plaguicidas.
English:
In Las Esquinas, the cactus agroecosystem associated with amaranth was located with the highest number of sprouts; in this agroecosystem, the amaranth crop was affected by pests, stopping its growth after 50 days, showing that in this association it probably had a bioremedial effect on the soil, making the organic matter content interchangeable; because Jarquín, Lagos and Blanco (2012) in this same location in cactus as a monoculture, found that "the application of compost did not generate statistical significance in terms of the number of sprouts" (p.93), in a coffee soil where pesticides were previously used.