2. BOTANY
• Common Fig- Ficus carica
• Family – Moracea
• Chromosome no.- 56
• Origin- West Asia
• Tree – moderate size ( deciduous in subtropics
but perform evergreen in tropic)
• Leaves – very broad, ovate and long stalked
• Fruit – multiple fruit, botanically “ Syconium”
Fig leaf Fruit
3. COMPOSITION
Pulp – 85%
skin – 15%
calorific value – High (269 cal)
100g edible portion of dried fig
contain.
Protein : – 4g
Carbohydrate :–69g
Fat :– 1g
Calcium :– 200mg
Iron :– 4mg
Vit. A :– 100IU
Thiamine :– 0.1 mg
4. USES of Fig
used as luxative and in treatment of skin
infection
CONSPTION – Fresh, preserved or
canned fruit
Very much used as a dried fruit
Also processed into jelly and paste
Latex is used to coagulate milk
5. Types / varieties
Based on pollination pattern and sex of flower, there
are four types of fig
Common fig/
Edible fig
Smyrna fig San pedro fig Wild fig/
Capri fig
Flower Long styled
pistillate flower
Long styled,
pistillate flower
Long styled
pistilate flower
Short styled
pistillate flower
with functional
male
Fruit
develop
Parthenocarpically After pollination Pollination Self fertile
Varieties Conardia
Poona
Kadata
Brown Turkey
Mission
Adriatic
Calimyrna
Taranimt
Zidi
San Pedro
King
Gentile
Lampeiria
Samson
Stanford
Brawley
6. Crop improvement
Most of the cultivated varieties originated as chance
seedling.
They were maintained clonally by rooted cuttings.
Major objective of Fig breeding:-
- To develop varieties with parthenocarpic fruits having
golden or reddish brown skin, amber pulp, distinctive
flavour and attractive size and shape.
- To develop high yielding variety
- Elimination of caprification
- Transfer of nematode and insect resistance cherectors
from wild fig.
At IIHR, Bangalore certain introductions were made and
evaluated
Ex:- Conardria and Deanna
7. CLIMATE and SOIL
It is a subtropical deciduous plant
Young trees are susceptible to frost.
It can tolerate temp. up to 45°C
high humidity cause fruit splitting
Arid and semi arid regions ( high summer, temp,
enough sunlight, and relative cool winter) are ideal for
quality fruit production.
Soil- well drained, non alkaline, deep, medium black
soils or alluvial clay soil much suitable.
Fig tolerate salt and drought condition.
8. PROPAGATION
By seed or asexually ( Cutting,
layering, grafting and micro-propagation)
Common and most successful method
is hard wood cutting.
It is taken from 1-2 years old shoots
Pre girdling of shoots, 30 days before
taking the cutting results in quick and
increased rooting.
Cutting taken from basal portion of
crown having short internodes.
Air layering on one year old shoots
during June
Top working done with bark or cleft
grafting or patch budding
9. CULTIVATION
Planting:-
North Indian States:- during early spring (Propagule
are in dormant stage
South and West India:- During monsoon
After planting irrigation given
Spacing:-
Usually – 8-10m in square system
Present recommonded spacing- 5x5m2
Poona variety- 2.5x 2.5m2
Pit size- 60 cm3 ,
Dug 15 days before planting
Fill with top soil: compost: sand:: 1:1:1
along with 2kg of neem cake/ pit
10. MANURE and FERTILIZER
Age of plant Organic manure (kg) Inorganic manure (g)
(years) FYM Oil cake (neem/ castor/
pongamiya)
N P K
1-2 15 0.5 75 50 50
3.5 25 1.0 – 1.5 150 100 100
>5 40 2.0 300 200 200
11. TRAINING
Trees are trained to a
desired height and shape to
enhance productivity and
facilitate harvesting.
Trees are headed back at a
height of 1-1.5m and allow
growth of side branches.
12. PRUNING
Annual pruning recommonded for inducing growth of
flowering wood and improving yield and quality
Light and heavy pruning is adopted
After pruning copper fungicide should be applied on cut
surface
Notching is another pruning method adopted in
variety like Poona fig
-This practice increase production and bearing area
-In this practice 2.5 cm bark area is removed from
base of dormant bud situated at middle region of 8
month old shoot.
- Notching cheeks free flow of nutrients and
stimulate the bud just below the cut end to produce a
fruiting shoot
13. IRRIGATION
Fig is drought tolerant but irrigated plants
produce good shoot growth and yield
Commercial orchard irrigated during summer
Flood ( basin diameter- 60cm) or drip system of
irrigation is practiced at 1- 12 days interval
Excess irrigation cause splitting of fruits and
production of insipid fruits
Inadequate watering – hardening of fruits and
reduction in fruit size
14. Flowering and Fruiting
Flowering starts within 3 years.
Steady yield is obtained from 5th yr
Economic life period- 40- 45 years
W. India – Flowering season- Oct-
Nov.
N. India – Jan- Feb
S. India – two flowering season
1. March- April
2. Oct- Dec.
Fruit mature 4-5 months after
flowering
16. Harvesting and Yield
Fig is climecteric fruit so harvest at fully maturity stage
Harvesting indices are disappearance of milky latex at
time of plucking, softening of fruit, wilting at neck region,
hanging down of fruits, sudden increase in size and
opening of ostiole.
Harvesting is done by hand either by cutting or twisting
neck at stem end
If it is grown for dry fruit production, they are allow to
ripen and to dry partially on the tree and allow to fall on
ground
Hence area beneath the tree has been clen and collect
the fruits once in 1- 5 days for drying.
Avg. Yield- 150-400 fruits /plant
17. Post harvest management
Packing:-
- Fruits are graded according to weight
into three groups viz; fruit weighing 50g or
more, 40- 50g and 30- 40g.
- They are packed in corrugated box
cartoon and are arranged in double layers,
each containing 28 fruits.
- Fig leaves are used as cushioning
material.
Storage
- It is a highly perishable fruit so at room temp. it can be stored for few days.
- Shelf life can be extended for a week by keeping at 0°C with 85- 90% humidity.
- fully mature fig can be either dried or frozen and this will not affect flavour or
colour of fruit.
- Before drying fruits are fumigated by sulphure and then dried at temp of 70- 72°C
Dried Fig
18. Physiological disorders
1. Sun burn- serious problem affecting young trees.
The affected parts crack and the bark peels off.
Heavy pruning and exposure of branches to sunlight
are the causes
2. Fruit splitting- when sudden change in atmospheric
humidity and soil moisture level due to rains.
Fruit become unfit for consumption as microbes
affect exposed pulp.
3. Fruit drop- major factor are excess heat and
drought, cold nights, light frost and lack of
pollination.