GABRIEL ITALO NOVAES DA SILVA, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoALEXANDRE MANIÇOBA DA ROSA FERRAZ JARDIM, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoMARCONDES DE SÁ SOUZA, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoGEORGE DO NASCIMENTO ARAÚJO JÚNIOR, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoJOSÉ EDSON FLORENTINO DE MORAIS, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/UAST – Serra Talhada, PELUCIANA SANDRA BASTOS DE SOUZA, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/UAST – Serra Talhada, PECARLOS ANDRÉ ALVES DE SOUZA, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoCLEBER PEREIRA ALVES, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoGHERMAN GARCIA LEAL DE ARAUJO, CPATSAABELARDO ANTÔNIO DE ASSUNÇÃO MONTENEGRO, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/UAST – Serra Talhada, PEBRENO LEONAN DE CARVALHO LIMA, INSATHIERES GEORGE FREIRE DA SILVA, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/UAST – Serra Talhada, PE.2026-07-07http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/503519Variation in rainfall affects crops; therefore, agricultural practices become essential for forage production in semi-arid regions. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different agricultural practices on phyllochron, structural characteristics of forage cactus and millet, and their relations with crop yield using the principal component analysis (PCA). The design was in randomized blocks, with six treatments: sole cropped cactus without straw mulching, sole cropped cactus with straw mulching, sole cropped millet without straw mulching, sole cropped millet with straw mulching, and cactus intercropping with millet, with and without straw mulching, each with four replicates. There were three cactus cycles and nine millet cycles (three cycles of cultivars BRS1501 and six of IPA Bulk-1-BF). Biometric parameters were evaluated monthly, while yield was determined after the crop harvest. Phyllochron was determined with the regression analysis. The PCA was applied to structural characteristics and yield. The systems adopted did not influence the structural characteristics of cactus and millet (p > 0.05), except for cladode thickness, which increased with straw mulching. Phyllochron of the millet reduced when the crop was intercropped. The structural characteristics of cladode length, width, and thickness influenced crop yield, mainly in systems with straw mulching. Straw mulching and intercropping alter phyllochron of cactus and millet. The adoption of straw mulching has a more significant relationship with cactus yield, whereas biometric variables influence crop yield for millet, not the cropping system.openAccessConsórcioCobertura morta de palhaAnálise do componente principalFilocronoRegião semiáridaCobertura de palhaMilho-miúdo sem cobertura de palhaPalma ForrageiraSistema de CultivoConsorciação de CulturaCobertura MortaMilhetoForragemMonoculturaForageCactus pearsMilletsIntercroppingArtigo de periódico