Comprehending the relation between climatic variables and the productive and morphological characteristics of the forage cactus is essential to the adjustment of the management of its production in different agro-climatic areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interrelationship between the meteorological variables and the water regime with the growth dynamics and accumulation of forage mass of three different forage cactus clones. We submitted the clones Miúda–MIU; Orelha de Elefante Mexicana–OEM and IPA Sertânia–IPA to three water regimes (40 %ETc, 80 %ETc and 120 %ETc), plus the non-irrigated condition (0 %ETc), during 18 months, in the municipality of Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil. Morphological, structural, and productive characteristics of the plants, and environmental variables were supervised throughout the experimental period. Pearson’s correlation, multicollinearity test, canonical correlation and path analysis were applied to these data. It was observed that the minimum air temperature, the relative air humidity, and the irrigation were the variables that affected the growth dynamics and the accumulation of fodder mass of the forage cactus clones the most. The clone OEM presented more sensitivity to the environmental conditions (climate and irrigation) in comparison to the other clones MIU and IPA. The environmental conditions affected the growth dynamics more than the productivity of the clone from the genus Nopalea. It was determined that the species of forage cactus presented differentiated morphological and productive responses among themselves, under semiarid conditions in Brazil.

了解气候变量与牧草仙人掌的生产形态特征之间的关系，对于调整不同农业气候区的生产管理至关重要。本研究的目的是评估气象变量和水情与三种不同草料仙人掌无性系的生长动态和草料质量积累之间的相互关系。我们提交了克隆 Miúda–MIU；Orelha de Elefante Mexicana–OEM 和 IPA Sertânia–IPA 在 18 个月内，在塞拉市的三种水情（40%ETc、80%ETc 和 120%ETc），加上非灌溉条件 (0%ETc)巴西伯南布哥州塔尔哈达。在整个实验期间，对植物的形态、结构和生产特征以及环境变量进行监督。对这些数据应用了 Pearson 相关、多重共线性检验、典型相关和路径分析。观察到最低气温、相对空气湿度和灌溉量是影响草料仙人掌无性系生长动态和饲料量积累的最大变量。与其他克隆 MIU 和 IPA 相比，克隆 OEM 对环境条件（气候和灌溉）更加敏感。环境条件对生长动态的影响大于该属克隆的生产力 灌溉是影响草料仙人掌无性系生长动态和饲料量积累的最大变量。与其他克隆 MIU 和 IPA 相比，克隆 OEM 对环境条件（气候和灌溉）更加敏感。环境条件对生长动态的影响大于该属克隆的生产力 灌溉是影响草料仙人掌无性系生长动态和饲料量积累的最大变量。与其他克隆 MIU 和 IPA 相比，克隆 OEM 对环境条件（气候和灌溉）更加敏感。环境条件对生长动态的影响大于该属克隆的生产力诺帕莱亚。确定在巴西的半干旱条件下，草料仙人掌物种之间呈现出不同的形态和生产反应。