Fig Farming (Cultivation)

Introduction and Historical Background: Fig is one of the oldest fruits grown in the world. Fig tree has been cultivated since 5000 BC. Fig has different names in different languages. It is called Injeer in Urdu, Teen in Arabic and Fig in English. Fig is the most important fruit in the world. It is called the fruit of heaven.

Scientific Name of Fig: The scientific name of fig is Ficus Carica. Ficus is Jenus and Carica is Species (Basic Unit of Classification or Taxonomic Rank). Fig belongs to the Moraceae Family & Kingdom Plantae.

Origin of Fig: Origin of fig is the Mediterranean and West Asia. It is mainly the fruit of the Middle East and Asia Minor (Asia-e-Kochak). In the subcontinent, he was brought by Muslim physicians from Arabia or Mughals and Mongols from Asia Minor.

Size of Fig Tree: Although many varieties of fig become very large trees, yet some varieties are also suitable for planting in pots. The fig tree can reach up to 30 feet (9 m) in height. It is an umbrella-shaped tree with spreading branches. Its branches can extend/spread around its stem/trunk up to 50 feet (15 meters). The leaves are broad and the branches are gray in color.

Fig Fruit: The fig tree bears fruit twice a year. The first fruit grows on the branches of the previous year and the second fruit grows on the new branches. Figs are a botanical multiple fruit. The hollow-pulped fruit of the fig is known as syconium. The fruit contains many seeds. Its raw fruit is green in color and hard but when ripens it turns blue or dark brown purple and the fruit becomes soft. Figs are naturally sweet and pear-shaped. It is the most delicate of all the fruits and falls off automatically when ripens.

Storing of Figs: When fig fruit ripens fully, it is stored in a cool place so that it does not spoil quickly. This fruit should be used quickly or packed in plastic bags and kept in the freezer. Figs can be frozen for 10 to 12 months in an airtight jar, preserved, cut or peeled. Figs stored in sealed tin cans stay in good condition for up to a year. Dried figs sealed in plastic airtight bags can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month and in the refrigerator for 6 months to 1 year. The best way to use figs is to dry them. It is disinfected by giving Sulfur Smoke to dry it. It is then dipped in Salt Water to soften after drying.

Different Types of Figs: There are more than 470 different types of edible fig. But the following varieties of fig are grown on a commercial scale.  

Brown Turkey, Purple Genca, Black Ichia, Celeste, Brunswick, Marseilles, Genoa, Adriatic, Black Mission

These varieties are grown in different parts of the world. Among these, Turkey Brown and Black Mission are the most widely cultivated. Fig is liked all over the world because of their benefits to human health.

Suitable Land For Fig Cultivation: Fig can be grown in almost any type of soil. But fig thrives in soils with a little sand, a lot of clay, and a mixture of lime, with good drainage. Soil pH should be between 6 to 6.5. Fig can withstand severe drought and too much salt. That is why fig is grown best in semi-arid, hot and sub-tropical climates.

Suitable Temperature For Fig Cultivation: Fig is a warm climate tree that can be grown almost anywhere. Some varieties of figs survive at temperatures of 10 to 20 ^oF (6 to 12 ^oC). It is suitable for cultivation in arid areas where there is light rainfall in early spring. When the weather is too dry and too hot, the fruit falls off. The plant needs 8 hours of sunshine a day for better growth.

Use of Figs: As fig has good taste so, people of all ages like to eat it. Fig is especially popular in Arab countries. It is also available in abundance in Pakistan. Figs can be eaten both fresh and dried. It can also be used to make jam and pickles. If the fig has to be transported from one place to another, it is either dried or its products (jam, pickles, etc.) are prepared. It cannot be sent to the distant markets as it has a very short shelf life. Fig is used to make a variety of food products, such as fig paste, fig concentrate, fig powder, fig nuggets and sliced ​​figs. Its flavor is also made and this flavor is used in other products. Fig oil is used in food. Fig contains moisture retaining ingredients that is why it is used in the manufacturing of toilet soaps, shampoos, conditioners and perfumes.

Nutritional Value of Fig: Fig is high in calcium and fiber. Experiments have shown that dried figs contain high amounts of fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium and vitamin K according to human needs. Fig contains some extra salts. It is also used as an antioxidant. Fig is also a good source of flavonoids and polyphenols. Eating two figs significantly increases plasma antioxidant capacity. 8 ounces figs provide 30% of the daily requirement of fiber for the body. Figs provide our body with 6% of the daily requirement of Vitamin A, 9% of Vitamin B1, 13% of Vitamin B6, 10% of Vitamin E and 13% of Vitamin K. Due to these ingredients, fig is a useful food medicine. Therefore, its use in general physical weakness and fever has good results. But kidney or gallbladder patients cannot eat large quantity of fig as it contains oxalates. Fig leaves contain low amounts of insulin and triglycerides. After the fruit is picked from the tree, the fig leaves are used as animal fodder.

Medicinal Benefits of Figs: Fig has the following medicinal benefits.

* Using figs with milk brightens the complexion and makes the body fat.

* Figs reduce the intensity of thirst.

* Figs are useful for people who do not sweat.

* Figs increase red blood cells and cleanse the blood by removing toxins.

* People who suffer from mental weakness should eat at first 4 figs for breakfast every day. Then grind 7 almonds, 1 walnut and 1 small cardamom seed and mix it with sugar to taste and eat this mixture with water.

* Fenugreek seeds and figs cooked in water and mixed with honey to reduce the severity of cough.

* If you have back pain, eat 3 to 4 figs every day to get rid of the pain. The use of figs is very useful for hemorrhoids/piles. Its use also eliminates chronic hemorrhoids.

* Figs are a great gift for underweight and mentally active people.

* Eating a few figs after a meal not only provides nutrition but also eliminates constipation.

* Figs are also useful for asthma and phlegm.

* Eating figs eliminates bad breath. Regular use of figs lengthens scalp hair.

* 2 to 3 figs soaked in vinegar after eating once a week to relieve spleen inflammation.

* If 2 to 4 drops of milk extracted from fresh figs are applied on the leprosy (a disease in which white spots appear on the body), these spots disappear.

* The use of fig with walnut is useful for strength.

* The use of figs is also useful for teeth.

* Fig is easily digested. It excretes wastes from the body by stimulating the intestines.

* Using figs with almonds eliminates most stomach ailments.

* Soak the dried figs in water. After a few hours, they will be large in size. Eating them twice a day eliminates chronic constipation.

* The use of figs is also very useful for inflammation of the kidneys and bladder. The use of white figs dissolves and removes stones from the kidneys and bladder.

* Give the children dried figs to eat in winter to improve their growth.

Fig Propagation Methods: Figs can be propagated from seed, plant cuttings, ground layering and by grafting.

 Propagation of Fig from Seeds: Propagation from seeds, Seedlings are prepared by sowing seeds. These seeds are obtained from well-ripe, dry and disease-free fruits.

Propagation of Fig From Cuttings: This is a popular method of Propagation of figs. In this method, the branches of figs which are two to three years old are selected. The diameter/thickness of these cuttings should be from 1/2  to 3/4 inches (1.3 to 1.9 cm). The length of the cuttings should be from 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm). The upper end of the cuttings should be flat and the lower end should be slant. Apply the root hormone on the lower end of the cutting which is to be planted in the ground.

Root Hormone: Root hormone accelerates the process of root formation in newly planted cuttings and the plants matures quickly. Root hormones are used especially on the cuttings of plants that form root with difficulty and after a long time. Although, Root Hormone is available in both liquid and powder form yet It is easy to use it in powder form.

 Apply a sealant or fungicide spray to protect the top of the cuttings from disease.

 Now press the diagonal end of cutting 6 inches (15 cm) deep into the ground. The distance between the cuttings in the bed should be one foot (30 cm). After planting, fill the bed with water and do not let the bed dry until the cuttings start their growth, but do not give too much water. These fig cuttings  can grow 36 to 88 inches (91 to 122 cm) up to the next year.

Ground Layering Ground Layering: Ground Layering is a method of breeding figs in which the branches of a fig tree are planted near the ground. In this method the branches of the tree are planted in the soil/ground 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) deep without separating them from the tree. When these branches start to develop roots, they are cut off from the tree and they become separate plants. This is how new fig plants are grown by ground layering. This is the easiest way to grow figs and is suitable for cold climates.

Propagation of Fig by Grafting: Although this method is more difficult than the previous methods and requires more things yet it is still used to get new variety of figs.

Things Required For Grafting Process: The following things are required for the grafting process.

 1. A common type of plant that you want to graft and transform it into a better variety plant.

2. An 8 to 10 inch long branch of a good variety plant with at least 4 to 5 eyes on it. Its thickness should be equal to the rootstock (common type of plant).

3. Buddy plastic tape to wrap around the joint.

4. A rubber band

5. A garden knife for cutting

Method: The common type of plant that is planted in a pot or in the ground is cut from the top leaving a distance of 1 foot from the bottom. This cut is made slant 1 to 2 inches long. This part is called Rootstock.

Then make a slant cut 1 to 2 inches long at the lower end of the good variety branch. This part is called Scion.

Now combine the sign with the rootstock in such a way that the lines of the cambium meet exactly. Wrap the buddy plastic tape well over the joint and then apply a rubber band to the bottom of the joint on the rootstock.

Finally, lightly cut with a knife on either side of the rootstock a little below the rubber band to release the extra pressure of the sap from the plant stem. The pressure of the sap in the fig plant is so high that If there is no way out, it will separate the scion before it is attached to the rootstock and thus the grafting process will fail.

Remember that different types of plants can be grafted on the same plant. In this case, the rootstocks of the same plant will also be more than one. Each rootstock will be grafted with a different variety.

Distance between Rows & Plants in the Garden: The distance between rows and plants in the garden should be 5 x 5 meters. 160 saplings should be planted on one acre area. The shorter the distance between the plants also reduces the fruit yield on each plant but this reduction is compensated by increased number of plants. One plant produces about 8 to 16 kg of figs.

Pruning of the Fig Tree: Pruning of fig tree is very important to get standard quality fruit. After planting the fig tree, the branches around it are cut off so that the plants grow upwards. Dead branches and diseased parts of plants should be cut off immediately. The best time to prune fig trees is usually in the autumn. In this season, the tree becomes inactive, i.e. its leaves have fallen off, so prune it once. However, in order to continue to bear fruit, it is important to remember that fig trees bear fruit on one-year-old branches.

Production Period of Fig Trees: Fig trees give good yield for about 15 years. After that, they are no longer commercially valuable.

Control of Diseases & Insects/Pests that Damage Fig Plants: Insects and diseases that damage figs have a significant effect on fig production. Fig Mosaic and Fig Rust are common diseases of figs.

Treatment: Use Bordeaux mixture to control these diseases.

 Root-Knot Nematodes: Root-Knot Nematodes are plant parasites and these are also a major problem in Fig Farming.

Treatment: Different nematcides ( a chemical pesticide that is used to kill Nematodes)  are used to reduce this problem.

Fig Stem Borer: Phorate Granules is used to control Fig Stem Borer.

Demicron0.05% is sprayed to control Fig-Fly. Mealy-Bugs and Scale-Insects are also controlled by the use of various insecticides.

Ants Attack on Fig Fruit Trees: Many fruit trees are attacked by ants which can be especially troublesome. As figs ripen on trees so, ants spoil figs. When the figs ripen, other insects (including ants) enter the fruit.

 Treatment:  Grow Ant-killing plants around the fig trees, such as Chrysanthemum, Garlic, etc. These plants are known to repel ants.

Compiled By: Ikram Saeed

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