Forage cactus is an important crop for feeding ruminants in the dry regions of the globe. However, elevated rates of soil salinity and evapotranspiration can reduce or limit the growth of these plants. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of saline water (0.1; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10.0 dS.m(-1)) applied via irrigation, and the use of mulch cover (rice husk) on the morphophysiological and productivity traits of the forage cactus Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck, during a 2-year field trial. The experiment was randomized in blocks, in strip-plot, with four replications. Dry matter yield (DMY), water use efficiency (WUE), and cladode thickness showed a negative response to the higher salt concentrations in water, during the first year of cultivation, but with no effects in the second year (mean DMY of 7 Mg ha(-1) year(-1)). Soil cover with rice husk promoted a greater number of cladodes per plant (10 units), thicker cladodes (2.1 cm), superior cladode area (323 cm(2)), and lower dry matter content (78 g kg(-1)). Saline water up to 10.0 dS.m(-1) can be used in the irrigation of Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck, since water supplementation is enough, combined with good soil drainage and well-established plantations.