Fig Accessions Research Articles

First report of virus detection in Ficus carica in Austria

Ficus carica is one of the most ancient cultivated crops, and is grown mainly in the Mediterranean region. In Austria, due to milder winters and longer warm periods than normal, figs are becoming more productive and popular among private growers. For future propagation of some fig varieties, the phytosanitary status of eight fig accessions, representing four Austrian genotypes maintained in a varietal collection plot, was investigated using PCR assays for presence of eight fig-infecting viruses. The four fig trees were infected with fig mosaic virus (FMV), fig badnavirus 1 (FBV-1), fig leaf mottle-associated virus 1 (FLMaV-1), fig mild mottle-associated virus (FMMaV) and fig fleck-associated virus (FFkaV); whereas fig leaf mottle-associated virus 2 (FLMaV-2), fig latent virus 1 (FLV-1) and fig cryptic virus 1 (FCV-1) were not detected. The sequences of PCR amplicons obtained from different viruses and samples showed greatest nucleotide variability of 0.5% for FBV-1, 12% for FLMaV-1, 16.3% for FMV, 14% for FMMaV, and 15% for FFkaV, when compared to their homologues in GenBank. A phylogenetic tree for FMV constructed based on partial RNA1 sequences showed that the Austrian isolates were most closely related to previously described Spanish and Greek isolates. The different symptoms observed in the tested trees were mainly in similar to with those reported for FMV, the agent of fig mosaic disease. This is the first report on the presence of fig mosaic-associated viruses in Austria.

Correlation of genome methylation of fig tree accessions with natural nematode and rust incidence.

Commercial fig tree cultivation in Brazil involves a single cultivar, 'Roxo-de-Valinhos'. The use of a single cultivar results in serious diseases and related problems. The aim of this study was to characterize fig accessions by analyzing the natural root-knot nematode and leaf rust incidence in relation to the epigenomic profile of the plant, since epigenetic variations affect plant-pathogen interactions. All plants were attacked by nematodes, indicating susceptibility; Meloidogyne incognita was the root-knot nematode species involved. Joint analysis of data showed that methylation and leaf rust incidence were correlated when observed in the same phenological phase, presenting initial evidence of the same factorial pressure loads in genotypes, suggesting similar behavior within these genotypes.

Evaluation of genetic diversity of figs (Ficus carica L.) in Sulaymaniyah governorate using morphological, pomological and ISSR molecular marker

The fig (Ficus carica L.) is a fruit tree that is important in the Mediterranean region, and thus genetic improvement has become an important field of research for better crops, with information on this species, particularly its genetic variability correlated to morphological traits of figs, for this purpose, the cultivars and wild types distributed in Sulaymaniyah province were investigated. Samples from 66 fig accessions were collected, 15 primers for ISSR markers were used to describe genetic variation, with 12 morphological traits. Analysis of variance recorded highly significant differences concerning plant morphological and pomological traits in addition to genetic diversity. The highest values for shoot length (79.959 cm), internode diameter (15.563 mm), leaf length (28.183 cm), leaf width (28.480 cm), leaf petiole length (13.397 cm) and leaf petiole diameter (18.360 mm) recorded in AC17, AC41, AC20, AC20, AC17 and AC24, respectively. However, the lowest values (11.120 cm, 4.340 mm, 10.910 cm, 9.813 cm, 3.987 cm and 2.323 mm) for the mentioned traits were recorded in AC14, AC12, AC12, AC12, AC37 and AC52, respectively. The highest values for fruit weight (63.447 g), fruit length (46.960 mm), fruit thickness (60.420 mm), fruit stalk length (29.887 mm), fruit stalk diameter (10.433 mm) and ostiole diameter (8.717 mm) were given by AC03, AC22, AC54, AC58, AC58 and AC14, successively. Whereas the lowest values (4.483 g, 14.770 mm, 18.497 mm, 2.373 mm, 2.533 mm and 2.557 mm) were observed in AC37, AC37, AC12, AC08, AC25 and AC30, successively. The first two principal components analysis (PCA) described 49.15% of the total quality variance. ISSR marker produced 197 polymorphic bands. The genetic diversities ranged as (0.883 to 0.980) and polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged as (0.878 to 0.979), with 100% polymorphism levels. The fig accessions classified into 10 clusters by dendrongram created by ward method. The results indicated that natural fig populations in this region provide a rich genetic resource for fig germplasms, and significant genetic variation across accessions originating from different populations, as well as the marker was informative for genetic variability detection in the collections. The findings of this study could support in the conservation and further utilization of fig germplasm.

First Identification of Fig Virus A and Fig Virus B in Ficus carica in Italy.

Extracts of double-stranded RNA from three fig cultivars from an Apulian (Southern Italy) germplasm collection were used for high-throughput sequencing and revealed the presence of two distinct, recently described closteroviruses. Sequences obtained from these Apulian isolates belong to fig virus A and fig virus B and cover 38 and 25% of their RNA genome, respectively. Primer sets designed on selected contigs confirmed the presence of each virus in infected plants. A close phylogenetic relationship, investigated in a fragment of HSP70h protein, occurs among these isolates and the reference genomes. A nucleotide divergence (ranging from 10 to 30% along the different genes) was observed among our isolates and the reference genomes. This is the first finding of these virus species in autochthonous fig accessions in Europe.

Performance evaluation of 40 fig accessions cultivated in Calabria: Study of qualitative parameters of breba production

In this study, ripening period and several pomological and qualitative characteristics of brebas were determined in forty autochthonous fig accessions grown in Calabria (South Italy). The evaluated forty accessions are characterized by producing brebas with a very different ripening period, carpometric and qualitative characteristics. Regarding the ripening period, on the whole the studied accessions are able to guarantee a very large brebas harvesting period extending for almost seven weeks (from the end of the first ten days of June to the middle of the third ten days of July). Also, most of the accessions produced brebas of carpometric and qualitative characteristics similar or even superior to those produced by other more widespread cultivars. The evaluated accessions can be very important not only for its possible use in genetic improvement programs but also for its immediate use to create new commercial orchards for the production of brebas.

Determination of phytochemicals of Turkish fig genetic resources

The rise of consumer interest in functional food make it necessary to determine the total phenolic (TP) and antioxidant activity (AOA) of the fig accessions in Türkiye. In this study, 236 fig accessions were analayzed for various metabolites such as phenolic compounds, total phenols (TP), total anthocyanins (TA), total flavonoids (TF), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The results showed that routine (44.34 ±8.78 mg kg–1 FW) was dominant phenolic compound in the fruits of ‘Bursa Siyahı’ variety, followed by epicatechin (27.76 ±1.12 mg kg–1 FW), syringic acid (4.57 ±2.20 mg kg–1 FW) and chlorogenic acid (4.39 ±0.20 mg kg–1 FW). Among the samples analysed, it was determined that the accession with the highest TPC (189.0 mg GAE 100 g–1 FW) and AOA (688.6 µmol troloks 100 g–1 FW) was ‘Kepek’ (TR 532). Also, it was determined that the accession with the highest anthocyanin content (512.3 mg cyn-3-glu kg–1 FW) was ‘Siyah’ (TR 230). ‘Kepek’ (TR532), ‘Siyah’ (TR 230), ‘Divrekkara’ (TR1101) and ‘Siyah Kış’ (TR1088) are generally not very cultivated accessions. These accessions have an important potential due to the continuous rise of interest in food with high AOA all around the world.

Genetic diversity of fig (Ficus carica L.) germplasm from the Mediterranean basin as revealed by SSR markers

Fig (Ficus carica L.) tree is cultivated worldwide and is highly appreciated for its fruit, which is consumed fresh or dried, having high nutritional and pharmaceutical value and for these reasons there is an increasing interest for its cultivation. In the present study, an ex situ collection of 60 fig accessions (41 indigenous Greek and 19 from other Mediterranean countries) was established and its diversity was analyzed using eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Greek fig genotypes showed relatively low allelic variation (the average number of SSR alleles per locus was 3.75), an excess of heterozygosity (mean He = 0.489 and Ho = 0.557), and extensive outbreeding (mean F index − 0.151). Cluster analysis showed that the established fig population exhibited weak genetic structure, with most of the genetic variation (89%) being present within individual members of the clusters. Both cluster and principal coordinate analysis confirmed that there is little correlation between genetic makeup and geographical origin of the fig accessions. Polymorphism information content with an average of 0.421 was reasonably informative. An identification key scheme for fig cultivars that will be useful in cultivar discrimination and intellectual property protection was developed. This work will contribute to a sustainable fig production regionally and worldwide, through the establishment and conservation of a reference fig collection, providing germplasm for future breeding efforts.

Genetic diversity of fig accessions under atypical climatic conditions assessed by fruit quality and antioxidant activity

• Ten fig accessions were evaluated under atypical climatic conditions in Čačak region, Serbia. • Nineteen main fruit physical and chemical properties and antioxidant activity was investigated. • Mean values of parameters showed a highly significant difference between accessions. • Dark skin fruits had better chemical traits and antioxidant power, whereas accessions with lighter skin have better fruit size. During two consecutive years, we investigated main physical and chemical properties of 10 native fig accessions grown in situ under atypical i.e. moderate climate of Serbia. This study represents the first detailed research on the analysis of different types of fig accessions and evaluation of their main fruit quality attributes. Results showed that all evaluated traits significantly varied among accessions, whereas influence of year and interaction accession × year was minor. Fruit weight (FW) and fruit size were much higher in lighter accessions compared to dark colored ones. Three accessions (‘TMAF 5’, ‘TMAF 9’ and ‘TMAF 10’) had soluble solids content (SSC) higher than 20°Brix. ‘TMAF 8’ with brighter skin had the sweetest fruits compared to the rest. ‘TMAF 7’ accession with yellow-green skin had smaller values of SSC, pH juice, ripening index (RI) and ash and low to moderate titratable acidity (TA). This accession also had the lowest content of phenolic compounds. In contrast, dark skin fruits exhibited a higher total polyphenol content (TPC) compared to lighter fruits. The majority of significant correlation coefficients were found in the characteristics representing FW with fruit dimensions i.e. fruit size and fruit shape indexes. Also, strong correlations between the amounts of total phenolics, total flavonoids (TFC), antioxidant capacity (TAC), chlorophylls ( a, b ) and carotenoids were found. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first three components explained 82.20% of the total variation, where fruit physical and chemical traits contributed most of the total variation. Since the knowledge and experience about growing figs in Serbia is extremely modest, it is necessary to continue testing in the future.

Morphological Characterization of Some Local Varieties of Fig (Ficus carica L.) Cultivated in Southern Italy

Figs (Ficus carica L.) are ancient fruits of the Mediterranean basin. In Southern Italy, they are particularly important in the traditional course of local cuisine. In Southern Italy, fig trees are rarely cultivated in specialized orchards but are present in association with other fruit trees (for example, olive, almond, pear, pomegranate, and grapevine). These mixed orchards are particularly important in the traditional agroecosystems of the south of Italy. This study reports preliminary results on the local fig variety’s leaf morphological characterization, aiming to elucidate the presence of synonymousness or homonymy for in situ and ex situ conservation and further exploitation. A field survey was carried out during the summer of 2018 in some areas of the Basilicata district. Thirty local putative varieties were collected, and each of them was identified by GPS coordinates and recorded photographically. Moreover, they were cataloged with the name of the Municipality of origin, year, details of growing location (main crop, mixed orchard, gardens, and single plants), approximate age, and the local name supplied by the donor. All relevant information was included in the accession code. Leaf samples were collected from each accession from medium-length shoots. A digital image of each leaf sample was captured using a digital camera. Leaf morphometric traits were recorded using ImageJ and statistically analyzed using the software PAST 4.11 to discriminate among fig accessions. The multivariate morphometric approach applied correctly classified more than 90% of the leaves and helped to discriminate among accession. Moreover, linear discriminant analysis helped to recognize the presence of different synonymousness and homonymy of different accessions. The results revealed that measured leaf morphometric aided by image analysis could be a simple and inexpensive accessions classification tool.

Genetic parameters and gains with the selection of fig tree genotypes

Fig tree (Ficus carica L., Moraceae), which originated in the Mediterranean Basin, is one of the many fruit trees grown in Brazil, with ‘Roxo-de-Valinhos’ being the exclusively used cultivar. In this context, research aimed at the improvement of this species to develop highly resistant and adaptable cultivars is paramount. Thus, the present study aimed to maintain fig accessions in an in vivo active germplasm bank (AGB) at the Faculty of Engineering of Ilha Solteira (FEIS), São Paulo State University (UNESP), as well as to characterize the agronomic traits of these accessions based on quantitative descriptors of genetic parameters and observe gains with the selection of specific genotypes to illustrate the AGB in terms of genetic variability. A total of 36 F. carica genotypes were evaluated in the field at the Teaching, Research and Extension Farm (FEPE) of the FEIS, UNESP. Qualitative traits, fruit parameters (e.g., insertion of the first fruit, fruit stalk length, fruit length, fruit diameter, and average fruit mass), and accumulated plant dry mass were measured. In addition, genetic parameters, variance components, and descriptive statistics, including genetic and environmental variances, heritability and average heritability of clones, coefficients of genotypic and environmental variation and their ratio ( ), general average, and selection gain, were evaluated. The selected fig tree accessions showed genetic variability in the assessed traits, exhibiting good heritability and achieving selection gains. For instance, the first 10 classified clones exhibited a heritability of 80.2% and achieved a selection gain of 98% for accumulated plant dry mass. Therefore, the maintenance of in vivo AGBs allows agronomic studies, offering promising results for continuing the breeding programs and preserving the genetic variability of species.

Selection of the promising fig (Ficus carica L.) accessions using fruit-related characters.

Nowadays, fig (Ficus carica L.) fruits are consumed either fresh or dried and used for jam or spirit beverage production. Morphological and pomological diversity of 49 wild edible fig accessions sampled was evaluated. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the wild accessions studied using the morphological data recorded. Ripening time ranged from late July to mid‐August. Fruit skin ground color showed high variability, including cream–purple (4 accessions), purple–yellow (8), light purple (7), purple (15), dark purple (5), purple–cream (3), and cream (7). The range of fruit‐related traits was as follows: fruit length: 12.65–22.60 mm, fruit width: 10.67–24.18 mm, fruit fresh weight: 2.52–6.13 g, and fruit flesh thickness: 0.85–1.89 mm. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed 10 independent components that could explain 84.11% of total variance. Ward dendrogram created according to the data obtained revealed the variation among the accessions and showed two major clusters. The present results showed that the studied accessions had remarkable phenotypic variation, and among them, some accessions with high‐quality fruits in size, color, and taste can be planted and then used in the breeding programs. Information on the current levels of genetic diversity of germplasm is essential for devising strategies for wild forms conservation.

Evaluation of the Characteristics of Native Wild Himalayan Fig (Ficus palmata Forsk.) from Pakistan as a Potential Species for Sustainable Fruit Production

Wild Himalayan figs (Ficus palmata Forsk.), native to East Asia and the Himalayan region, are closely related to the well-known cultivated fig (Ficus carica L.), which is grown mainly in the Mediterranean region. The Pakistani state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has a rich variety of figs. However, no comprehensive study has been carried out to utilise the diversity of these wild figs for possible use in sustainable fruit production. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the variability of 35 wild fig accessions using quantitative and qualitative traits. Descriptive statistics were used to measure quantitative characteristics, while the coefficient of variance (CV %) was analysed using SAS® version 9.1. A principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate analysis were performed using R Studio (v1.1.4). Pearson correlation coefficients between characteristics were obtained using SPSS software. The studied accessions showed high variability and the coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 4.46–14.81%. Days to maturity varied from 71 to 86, leaf area from 38.55 to 90.06 cm2. The fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit weight ranged from 11.25 to 29.85 mm, 11.85 to 27.49 mm and 2.65 to 9.66 g, respectively. The photosynthetic activity and total chlorophyll content also varied from 7.94 to 10.22 μmol CO2 m−2s−1 and 37.11 to 46.48 μgml−1. In most of the fig accessions studied, apical dominance was found to be ‘absent’ while fruit shape was observed to be ‘globular’. A strong correlation was observed between all the studied characteristics. In the PCA analysis, all 35 fig accessions were distributed in four quadrants and showed a great diversity. This could be a valuable gene pool for future breeding studies and provide improved quality varieties. Wild Himalayan figs from the wild are well adapted to local pedoclimatic conditions and, combined with easy propagation and production can contribute to the local economy and have a significant impact on the socio-economic and ecological balance. The results of this study show high variability in some of the studied traits of 35 accessions from different parts of Northeast Pakistan, indicating their good potential for further enhancement and utilisation in sustainable agricultural production.

Genetic characterisation and population structure analysis of Anatolian figs (Ficus carica L.) by SSR markers

Abstract The common fig (Ficus carica L.) is a tree species and is one of the oldest fruit trees cultivated in Turkey. The Western Anatolian region of Turkey produces nearly a quarter of the total dried fig production of the world. This region also harbours a rich fig germplasm. However, so far this germplasm has remained largely uncharacterised. In this study, using 14 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs, we analysed a total of 310 fig accessions from six different regions of Anatolia. In structure analyses, Western Anatolian accessions formed a group, which was correlated with their geographical distribution. In addition, 7 identical, 36 synonymous, and 22 homonymous fig accessions were identified. In multilocus lineages (MLLs) analysis a total of 54 accessions were matched to different accessions as clone assignment. The results will facilitate future germplasm management and breeding efforts in this economically important tree species by identifying genetic diversity, genetic relations and characterising the structure of studied populations and accessions.

First report of fig mosaic virus on fig in Russia.

Fig mosaic virus (FMV) (genus Emaravirus in the family Fimoviridae) is considered the etiological agent of fig mosaic disease (FMD) that is recorded in most of the fig growing areas with an average global infection rate of 33%. The multipartite FMV genome is comprised of six negative monocistronic ssRNAs, each of which is separately encapsidated (Preising et al. 2020). Although FMD-like symptoms, which include mosaic, chlorotic ringspots, and oak leaf patterns, were observed in approximately a third of 400 fig accessions in the Nikita Botanical Gardens, Yalta, Russia (Mitrofanova et al. 2016), FMV has not been identified as the causal agent of the disease. In June of 2020, total RNA was isolated from symptomatic leaves of 59 thirty two-year-old trees representing 31 local and 27 introduced Ficus carica L. cultivars and a single F. pseudocarica Miq. tree using RNeasy Plant Mini kit (Qiagen, USA). FMV was tested by RT-PCR using primer sets E5 (Elbeaino et al. 2009) and EMARAVGP (Walia et al. 2009), which amplify a 302-bp fragment of RNA1 and a 468-bp fragment of RNA2, respectively. PCR products of the expected sizes were generated in all samples, indicating a high FMV incidence in the plantings. The genome sequences of FMV isolates from F. carica cvs. Bleuet, Kraps di Hersh, Smena, Temri, and F. pseudocarica (Fig. S1) were determined by high-throughput sequencing on MiSec Illumina platform. Double-stranded RNA was isolated from FMV-positive leaves using Viral Gene-spin™ Viral DNA/RNA Extraction Kit (iNtRON, Korea), followed by cDNA library preparation with the NEBNext® Ultra™ II RNA Library Prep Kit (New England Biolabs, USA). In average, 695,000 quality-filtered 150 bp pair-ended reads per a library were produced and used in a de novo assembly using metaSpades program version 3.14 (Nurk et al. 2017). In each of five samples, BLASTn analysis found six FMV-related contigs. The contigs spanned 99 to 100% of corresponding genomic segments of the most closely related isolates. In addition to FMV, fig cryptic virus-related contigs were also detected in some samples. The FMV contigs covering RNA1 to RNA6 had the highest identity to corresponding genomic segments of isolates AM941711 (96.5 to 96.6%), FM864225 (94.4 to 94.6%), FM991954 (97.9 to 98.2%), AB697863 (96.4 to 96.6%), AB697879 (93.3 to 93.4%), and AB697895 (95.4 to 97.0%), respectively. Five Russian isolates shared 99.2 to 100% nucleotide sequence identity, depending on the genomic segment. Their sequences were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers MW201216 to MW201230 and MW208662 to MW208676. Phylogenetic analysis of six ORFs showed that ORF1 to ORF3 and ORF6 of the Russian isolates clustered with FMV isolates from Italy while ORF4 grouped with the isolate JTT-Pa (AB697863) from Japan (Fig. S2). ORF5 of the Russian isolates formed a separate cluster with the isolates SB1 and SB2 from Serbia and JTT-Vi from Japan (AB697879 to AB697884). Incongruency of phylogenetic relationship among the genomic segments suggests reassortment among ancestors of the Russian FMV isolates. In addition, similar to the SB1, SB2 and JTT-Vi, ORF5 of the Russian isolates encodes a protein of 486 amino acid (aa) residues in contrast to the corresponding protein of Italian isolates consisting of 502 aa. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of FMV in Russia. This finding not only expands the information on the geographical distribution of FMV, but also extends knowledge on F. pseudocarica as a natural host of the virus.

Assessment of genetic diversity of thirty Tunisian fig (Ficus carica L.) accessions using pomological traits and SSR markers.

Sixteen pomological traits were employed to characterize the diversity of 30 fig accessions collected mainly from Southeastern Tunisia and maintained at CFPA 'El Gordhab', Tataouine, in Southeastern Tunisia. Additionally, 13 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were analyzed to detect the genetic diversity of the 30 fig accessions. In this study, qualitative data (fruit shape, fruit external color, fruit internal color, abscission of the stalk from the twig, skin peeling, fruit skin firmness) showed morphological variation within accessions. A highly significant difference (p < .01) among accessions was revealed for all the quantitative traits. The first three components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) of PCA accounted for 52.99% of the total variability. PC1, PC2, and PC3 accounted respectively for 28.02, 13.05, and 11.91% of the total variance. The most discriminating morphological parameters were fruit length and diameter, stalk length and diameter, neck length and diameter, stalk and flesh thickness, fruit shape, skin peeling, and skin firmness. Concerning the molecular results, 40 alleles were revealed. The number of alleles ranged between 2 to 6 with a mean of 3.08 alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged from 0.03 (LMFC21, LMFC23, and LMFC32) to 0.83 (LMFC30) with an average of 0.43. The expected heterozygosity (He) varied from 0.03 (LMFC21, LMFC 23 and LMFC32) to 0.74 (LMFC30) with an average of 0.37. UPMGA cluster analysis and PCA grouped the accessions in 6 groups. Our results showed that the SSR markers used detected low genetic diversity within the accessions studied.

Phenotypic variability of naturally grown edible fig (Ficus carica L.) and caprifig (Ficus carica var. caprificus Risso) accessions

Edible figs (Ficus carica L.) are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber. Caprifigs (Ficus carica var. caprificus Risso) play an important role in caprification of the edible figs. In the current study, phenotypic variability of wild edible fig and caprifig accessions were investigated. Significant variabilities were observed among wild edible figs and also among caprifigs. Fruit fresh weight ranged between 0.56 and 28.69 g in wild edible figs and also varied between 0.12 and 8.25 g in caprifigs. In wild edible figs, principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the traits measured were subdivided into 15 independent components with explaining 78.90% of total variance, while in caprifigs, 80.48% of observed variances were explained by the first 14 components. For both wild edible figs and caprifigs, cluster analysis showed that the accessions were placed into two main clusters and the accessions belonging to Isfahan province were in a cluster, while the accessions belonging to areas of Gilan and Mazandaran provinces formed another cluster. The current study will allow the fruit growers and breeders to select the most interesting and appropriate range of wild edible fig accessions based on market needs taking into account the ripening season and fruit color. In addition, it is important to conserve caprifig genetic materials, not only for caprification but also for fig breeding studies because of the increasingly apparent effects of caprifigs on the fruit quality and phytochemical characteristics of edible figs.

Photosynthetic characteristics in fig tree accessions for diversification of production

Photosynthesis allows plants, through metabolic reactions, to obtain products for their growth and development. Knowledge of and estimating the physiological variables involved in the photosynthetic process can be an advantage in choosing accessions for setting up an orchard. The aim of this study therefore was to evaluate some of the physiological characteristics involved in the photosynthetic process of six commercial accessions of the fig tree. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomised design, comprising six treatments and six replications, giving a total of 36 experimental units. The treatments consisted of the following fig accessions: ‘Roxo de Valinhos’, ‘Palestino’, ‘Figo Vermelho’, ‘PI 189’, ‘Cuello Negro’ and ‘Turco’. The net rate of CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and internal leaf temperature varied statistically between accessions. Some accessions demonstrated the same performance as ‘Roxo de Valinhos’ for the photosynthetic variables. As such, the dependence of the domestic market on one single cultivar should be reviewed; however, further studies on other physiological and production characteristics should be carried out in order to validate each recommendation.

Assessment of genetic diversity in Moroccan fig (Ficus carica L.) collection by combining morphological and physicochemical descriptors

There are not many exhaustive works emphasizing the amount of genetic diversity based on multivariate analysis of a large sample of fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars in Morocco. In this study, 96 local and 44 introduced fig cultivars were assessed using 41 descriptors. The studied genotypes exhibited a highly significant variability based on morphological, colorimetric and physicochemical traits. Most of characters showed a high coefficient of variations (> 30%) revealing a high level of phenotypic diversity among the genotypes. Principal component analysis showed that the first 10 components explained 60.26% of the total inertia. Fruit weight, caliber, stalk, neck size, fruit shape, and skin color coordinates contributed to most of the total variation. Matrix of correlations showed significant positive and negative correlations among variables particularly fruit sizes, shape and skin color. Cluster analysis using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Averages procedure for studied accessions revealed two major clusters and five subclusters. Principal component analysis scatter plot expressed a low level of variance compared to the cluster. It confirmed the same classification of the fig accessions, where fruit dimensions and skin color coordinates were the most discriminant descriptors. The results highlight a high phenotypic diversity within studied fig germplasm, which is probably more genetically related. The accessions panel can be recognized as an important gene pool for future breeding programs. The present study is of importance for planning fig genetic resources inventory, preserving the existing genetic variability and establishing national collections.

Analysis of genetic diversity of Ficus carica L. (Moraceae) collection using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

Modern technologies and accurate information on genetic diversity and structure are contributing to improve the plant breeding, in particular for all the minor species with a lack of data. Genetic diversity of 139 different Ficus carica L. genotypes collected from Italy and Croatia, and divided into two subgroups: uniferous (only main crop) and biferous (breba and main crop), was investigated using 49 microsatellite markers. A total of 70 alleles were generated, of which 64 (91.4%) showed a polymorphic pattern indicating high level of genetic diversity within the studied collection. The mean heterozygosity over the 64 single locus microsatellites was 0.33 and the expected and observed averaged variance were 16.50 and 184.08, respectively. The 139 fig genotypes formed two clusters in the PCoA analysis, suggesting a division between Italian and Croatian genotypes. Moreover, the fig accessions could be divided into two main clusters based on the STRUCTURE analysis according to the biological type, uniferous or biferous, with partly overlapping varieties. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that molecular markers were able to discriminate among genotypes and useful for the authentication of fig tree varieties (homonymies and synonymies).

Morphological, Pomological, and Specific Molecular Marker Resources for Genetic Diversity Analyses in Fig (Ficus carica L.)

Fig (Ficus carica L.) considers the original cultivated fruit trees and currently has become extinct. Such genetic resources should be identified, documented, and conserved. Morphology, pomology, and molecular markers are successful tools in assessing genetic diversity and classifying fig accessions. Twenty-one cultivated fig (F. carica L.) accessions were collected from Egypt and Libya. In Egypt, fig accessions are dispersed from Sinai in the east to El-Saloom in the west and from Alexandria in the north to Aswan in the south, whereas Libyan accessions were collected from Tubryq, Bengazi, and AlKufrah. Seventeen morphological, pomological, and fruit traits were used to characterize the fig accessions. Moreover, frozen young leaves were used to extract genomic DNA; 13 expressed sequence tag (EST) common fig primer pairs with 12 intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR)-anchored primers were used to detect the genetic diversity. Analysis of variance for fig accessions showed highly significant differences concerning morphological traits, i.e., the leaf length (centimeters) and width (centimeters) ranged from 5.4 and 6 cm to 23 and 23.5 cm, for Komesrey-El-Hammam, Abodey-Giza, and Black_Mission accessions, respectively. Also, fig accessions showed different shapes of leaf edge and fruits; they were categorized into four groups: straight, waved, zigzag, and serrated. The number of leaf lobes data ranged from one lobe for the ‘Green-yellow’, ‘Sultani Red Siwa’, and ‘Sultany Red Amria’ accessions to 10 lobes in the Aswany accession. The two-way hierarchical morphological cluster analysis distributed fig accessions into two main groups. The results detected high genetic diversity for the fig accessions that could be useful in the future breeding programs. Concerning molecular data, the EST markers showed highly polymorphism and informative (r = 0.61; 90.0%), with a total number of identified alleles of 78. We proved that a relatively greater number of alleles per locus characterizes the targeted loci among fig accessions, for which only one and two alleles per locus have been revealed, respectively, although ISSR showed a clear pattern and bands of the primers UBC807, UBC811, UBC812, UBC814, UBC815, UBC817, UBC818, and UBC823. In conclusion, a great range of variability was detected within the fig accessions. This diversification could enrich the genetic base of this genus, and more experiments are needed to reach its full potential.