Advances in propagation of Ficus carica L.

Abstract

Fig tree (Ficus carica L.) stands out due to its range of cultivation and easy adaptation to diverse edaphoclimatic conditions. In addition to its adaptability, fruits have nutraceutical characteristics and are used in industry and for fresh consumption, widely appreciated by the world cuisine. Due to lack of manpower and phytosanitary problems, the area planted in Brazil has decreased recently. To overcome these obstacles, the production of quality seedlings is the first step to obtaining productive and healthy orchards. Therefore, the aim of the present literature review was to gather data referring to advances in research related to the fig tree propagation. Currently, the methods found for fig tree propagation consist of seedling production, where entomophilic or vegetative pollination occurs. Commercially, the propagation method by cutting is still the most used for this crop; however, other methods can also be used, such as the use of burrs or plunging and grafting techniques and tissue culture. Although there is a diversity of propagation methods and new technologies being developed, cuttings remain the most feasible method. In addition, obtaining healthy and quality seedlings is one of the main problems currently found in ficiculture, since, in addition to the scarcity of studies related to propagation, the use of resistant cultivars and pathogen-free substrates should be prioritized due to susceptibility of fig trees to nematodes. Thus, further studies should be carried out in order to seek new information on the cultivars most adapted to each locality, as well as improvements in propagation and cultivation techniques.

Micropropagation and Germplasm Conservation of Ficus americana Aubl. and F. obtusifolia Kunth from Lambayeque (Peru)

“…Fertile seed production in figs is a complicated issue, given the need for the specific pollinator Blastophaga psenes L. to carry out the pollination, and, in some countries such as Brazil, the production of seedlings of F. carica is not possible due to the absence of B. psenes (Anjam et al, 2017). Therefore, other methods of propagation, such as burrs, plunging, grafting, tissue culture, and especially cuttings, are frequently used instead of pollination (Boliani et al, 2019). In other species such as F. religiosa, leaf explants are used for its multiplication (Siwach & Gill, 2014).…”

“…The common fig tree, F. carica L., originally native to Western Asia but cultivated worldwide, is undoubtedly the most important food species within the genus Ficus. For this reason, several methods of sexual propagation have been developed (seedling production with entomophilic or vegetative pollination), as well as several conventional methods of multiplication such as asexual cuttings, plunging, grafting, and tissue culture techniques (Boliani et al, 2019). In four of the varieties of F. carica, in vitro propagation using shoot-tip (0.5 to 1.5 mm in length) cultivation in an MS culture medium supplemented with various combinations of plant growth hormones has shown particular efficacy for eliminating various viral diseases such as the Fig Mosaic Disease (FMD) (Bayoudh et al, 2015).…”

Isolation and identification of pathogens causing stem rot of the fig tree (Ficus carica)

“…La implementación de este sistema de producción requiere veinte veces más plantas que los sistemas convencionales, y que éstas se encuentren libres de plagas y enfermedades. La principal forma de propagar la higuera es mediante estacas de tallos leñosos podados después de la cosecha (Boliani et al, 2019). Las plantas producidas en vivero pueden presentar pudrición del tallo y raíces asociada (Flaishman et al, 2008), and it was the common fig trees that adapted best, since they required no pollination for the development of syconia.…”

“…The implementation of this production system requires twenty times as many plants than conventional systems, and for them to be free of pests and diseases. The main way to disseminate fig trees is using a cuttling of a ligneous stem trimmed after harvest (Boliani et al, 2019). The plants produced in the greenhouse may display rotting of the stem and roots, related to the pathogens of the damping off complex (Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Pythium and Phytophthora), which is favored by a relative humidity of 80%, a temperature of 25 °C and high densities (García et al, 2008).…”