EFECTO DE LA BIOFERTILIZACIÓN DEL CULTIVO DE NOPAL VERDURA (Opuntia ficus-indica) SOBRE VARIABLES FISICOQUÍMICAS, FITOQUÍMICAS Y MORFOLÓGICAS Y SU RELACIÓN CON LA PRODUCCIÓN DE BIOMASA

<p><strong>Background.</strong> The nopal is a plant that adapts to various agroecosystems. Its nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics make it important for human and animal consumption. New strategies are required to increase its production and nutritional qualities. <strong>Objective.</strong> To determine the effect of biofertilization (inoculation of <em>Pseudomonas</em> sp., <em>Enterobacter</em> sp., and <em>Paenibacillus</em> sp.) of the vegetable nopal (VN; <em>O. ficus-indica</em>) crop on morphology, physicochemical and phytochemical composition and its relationship with biomass production (BP). <strong>Methodology.</strong> The research was carried out in a plot with an area of 750 m2 divided into four blocks, each with five treatments (n= 50 VN plants/treatment). The treatments (T) were: T1, chemical fertilizer; T2, bovine compost; T3, chemical fertilizer plus bioinoculant; T4, bovine compost plus bioinoculant and T5, Control (plants without fertilizer). The physicochemical and phytochemical composition, morphology, and crude protein (CP) of cladodes by treatment and harvest were evaluated (two harvests, with an interval of 45 days between each one). The information was analyzed using fixed effects models and principal component analysis (PCA). The differences between treatments were determined by the least squares means test at α<0.05. <strong>Results.</strong> Treatment effect (p<0.001) was found on physicochemical and phytochemical composition and morphology. The ether extract and total phenols were not affected by the treatment (p>0.05). Dry matter (DM) was lower (p<0.05) in the T4 (9.9%). PC showed higher values in the T1 (p<0.05): 9.3%. Total flavonoids were higher (p<0.05) in the T1 (1.29 mg EQ/g) and T4 (1.20 mg EQ/g). Antioxidant activity was lower (p<0.05) in the T3 and T2: 11.9 and 12.3%, respectively. In morphology, T5 presented lower values (p>0.05). The highest BP, according to the PCA, was observed in the T2 (24.1 kg/harvest) and, this BP was explained by two components (p<0.001): Component 1 (PC, FC and, cladode width) and Component 2 (DM). <strong>Implications.</strong> The findings of this work serve as a basis for future research aimed at maximizing the production of nopal vegetables - grown in low-fertility and clayey soils - through biofertilization. <strong>Conclusion.</strong> Soil fertilization with bovine compost (T2) is a viable strategy to increase the CP of VN, due to the improvement of the physicochemical, phytochemical, and morphological indicators, which contribute to the increase in the BP of this nopal cultivated in clayey soils with low fertility.</p>