Fig Plantation

Green Culture

Fig Plantation

Propagation

Rooting of hard wood cuttings is the common method of propoagtion in fig. Rooting was the best in cuttings from 3 year old wood with 30 - 40 cm length and 1.5 cm dia. Cuttings from the base of the shoot and lower part of crown have to be used as they root better. Cuttings are taken during January - February at the time of pruning in North India whereas, the cuttings are taken during rainy season in South India. Fig can also be propagated by air layering, shield or patch budding and side grafting. Focus glomeration rootstock offers resistance to root knot nematode.

Planting

Fig is planted in square system of planting at a spacing of 5 x 5 m accommodating about 160 plants per acre.  Pits of 0.6 cu.m are dug for planting the cuttings.  Planting sea…

Irrigation

Fig can sustain heat and drought. However, for commercial production timely irrigation is necessary. Flood irrigation at an interval of 10-12 days during summer is ideal. However, if drip irrigation is adopted 15-20 litres of water/day/plant needs to be provided.

Frequent irrigation leading to excess soil moisture will cause splitting of fruits. It should be borne in mind that during fruit ripening, the plants should not be given any irrigation because it will result in insipid fruits viz., fruits with bland taste

Training and Pruning

To keep the trees more productive and to facilitate inter cultivation operations, the fig trees are trained to a desired height and shape. The fig tree bears tow crops in a year, the first crop on the wood of previous season and the second crop on new wood of current season. Pruning is necessary to induce growth of flower bearing wood. The time and amount of pruning are adjusted according to the growth habit and bearing capacity of the tree. Notchin stimulates production of laterals on vigorous upright b ranches.

Fig trees are trained initially to a single stem and allowed to grow to a height of about 1m and then it is topped. Light pruning is practiced in Poona Fig after the monsoon is over i.e. in October.

Plant Protection

The major pests of fig are stem borers, leaf defoliators and fig flies. The fig fly can be controlled by Demecron (0.05% spray). The stem borer is controlled with the application of Phorate granules with Petrol or Kerosene. Important disease of fig is rust which is caused by Cerotelium fici. It can be controlled by dusting with sulphur or spraying with Blitox or Dithane M-45 and Dithane Z-78.

Fruit set

It has been observed even in common fig or Adriatic fig, the phenomenon of parthenocarpy is altered by climatic condition of a particular location. Hence there is a possibility of failure of furitset by a particular variety in a particular location. The parthenocarpic fruitset can be enhanced by spraying 25 ppm o f NAA or IBA on the flowers. For Smyrna figs, inter planting of Capri figs should be done for effective fruitset.

To promote proper shoot growth and to prevent fruit drop in fig, growth regulators like Gibberellic Acid (GA) @ 30 ml / litre of water is used.

Harvesting and Yield

Though fig starts bearing fruits from the second year, commercial harvesting is done from the third year. The yield increases with increase in canopy size of the tree and stabilizes during eighth year. The economic life of the plant is about 35 years. The harvesting season starts in February - March and is over by May - June. The fruits are harvested in 2-3 day intervals manually. The fruits should be picked when they are soft and wilt at the neck. If the fruits are picked before proper maturity, milky latex exudes.

Fresh figs are highly perishable. Slightly immature fruits are to be harvested for transporting to distant markets. Ripe fruits are picked either form the tree by twisting the neck at the stem end or by cutting it or gathered after they drop. Yield ranges from 180 to 360 fruits per tree.

Fully ripe fresh figs can be kept only for about a week at 0 o C with a 90 per cent relative humidity. To preserve in a dried state, first the fig fruits are soaked in boilin g saltwater for half a minute and subjected to sundrying for a few hours. Then they are dried under shade for 8 days and stored in polythene containers. Another from of preservation of fig is drying in an electric drier at 70 – 72 o C with prior sulphur fu migation

Plants Enquiry 

Green Culture Nurseries

Satana Road, Malegaon, Dist. Nashik (Maharashtra)

Mo: 8830079755