Fresh Figs Research Articles

Fertigation with potassium increases size and yield in fresh figs growing in California

Fertigation with potassium increases size and yield in fresh figs growing in California

Developing the California fresh fig industry

Developing the California fresh fig industry

A review of fig sector in Turkey

Turkey takes place among the first major countries in terms of agriculture gross value added and also food self-sufficiency in the world due to its very diverse ecological conditions and geographic position to major export markets. The diverse and rich micro-ecological conditions of the country enable to produce many fruits. In fact, Turkey produces about 27% of world fresh figs, 53% of dry figs and realizes 51% of world fig fruit exports. According to the recent data released by Turkish Statistic Institute, production and export volume of dry fig are 299 and 278 thousand metric tons, respectively. Although, in recent years, both fresh and dry fig exhibit an increasing trend in the world market, Turkey's fig sector has not yet fulfilled its export market potential. There are still many issues to be solved both in production and marketing stages of value-chain such as comply with Global GAP practices, coordination of the value-chain and unification of growers. The aim of this paper is to examine the current status of Turkish fig sector and highlight some critical points for enhancing competitiveness of the sector by value chain analysis approach. In addition to evaluation of basic indicators of fig production and trade, agricultural policy instruments, production system and technology, critical economic problems of the sector will be examined and evaluated.

Evaluating Leaf Nutritional Status and Fruit Quality Attributes of "Sultani" Cultivar Fresh Fig Fruit Under Sinai Conditions

Evaluating Leaf Nutritional Status and Fruit Quality Attributes of "Sultani" Cultivar Fresh Fig Fruit Under Sinai Conditions

Preparation and Application of Starch/Polyvinyl Alcohol/Citric Acid Ternary Blend Antimicrobial Functional Food Packaging Films.

Ternary blend films were prepared with different ratios of starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/citric acid. The films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, as well as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The influence of different ratios of starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/citric acid and different drying times on the performance properties, transparency, tensile strength (TS), water vapor permeability (WVP), water solubility (WS), color difference (ΔE), and antimicrobial activity of the ternary blends films were investigated. The starch/polyvinyl alcohol/citric acid (S/P/C1:1:0, S/P/C3:1:0.08, and S/P/C3:3:0.08) films were all highly transparent. The S/P/C3:3:0.08 had a 54.31 times water-holding capacity of its own weight and its mechanical tensile strength was 46.45 MPa. In addition, its surface had good uniformity and compactness. The S/P/C3:1:0.08 and S/P/C3:3:0.08 showed strong antimicrobial activity to Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli, which were the food-borne pathogenic bacteria used. The freshness test results of fresh figs showed that all of the blends prevented the formation of condensed water on the surface of the film, and the S/P/C3:1:0.08 and S/P/C3:3:0.08 prevented the deterioration of figs during storage. The films can be used as an active food packaging system due to their strong antibacterial effect.

Mealybug (Pseudococcidae) infestation and organic control in fig (<em>Ficus carica</em>) orchards of Malaysia

Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) are widely distributed insects that damage a large variety of fruits, vegetables and other crops throughout the world. The soft and thin-skinned fig (Ficus carica L.) is nutritious and tasty. Additionally, these fruits have enormous medicinal potential. Organic farming for the production of fresh figs is in demand. This experiment was designed to determine effective, economic and organic agents to control mealybug infestation on fig orchards. Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) leaf extract, neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract and malathion were applied to selected groups of plants at 7, 15, 30, 45 and 60-days intervals and the mealybug densities measured after treatment. Three species (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti) and Planococcus ficus (Signoret)) of mealybugs were morphologically identified from experimental fig orchards. Both botanicals and malathion showed an inhibitory effect on mealybugs. The effectiveness against the mealybugs was Malathion > Jatropha leaf extract > Neem leaf extract. Nine biologically active compounds were identified from an LC-MS/MS (Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) analysis of Jatropha leaf extract that appear to have insecticidal properties against the mealybugs. We recommend applications of either Jatropha or Neem leaf extracts to fig orchards to control mealybugs every 15 to 30 days.

Mealybug (Pseudococcidae) infestation and organic control in fig (Ficus carica) orchards of Malaysia

Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) are widely distributed insects that damage a large variety of fruits, vegetables and other crops throughout the world. The soft and thin-skinned fig (Ficus carica L.) is nutritious and tasty. Additionally, these fruits have enormous medicinal potential. Organic farming for the production of fresh figs is in demand. This experiment was designed to determine effective, economic and organic agents to control mealybug infestation on fig orchards. Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) leaf extract, neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract and malathion were applied to selected groups of plants at 7, 15, 30, 45 and 60-days intervals and the mealybug densities measured after treatment. Three species (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti) and Planococcus ficus (Signoret)) of mealybugs were morphologically identified from experimental fig orchards. Both botanicals and malathion showed an inhibitory effect on mealybugs. The effectiveness against the mealybugs was Malathion > Jatropha leaf extract > Neem leaf extract. Nine biologically active compounds were identified from an LC-MS/MS (Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) analysis of Jatropha leaf extract that appear to have insecticidal properties against the mealybugs. We recommend applications of either Jatropha or Neem leaf extracts to fig orchards to control mealybugs every 15 to 30 days.

OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION OF FIG AND PLUM

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of osmotic partially dehydration and edible coating using of carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) on physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics on Fig and Plum. Chemical, physical properties and sensory evaluation were carried out for fresh and osmotic dehydrated Fig and Plum. The obtained results reveal that fresh Fig had a high content of total soluble solids (T.S.S) %, crude protein, total ash and total acidity compared to those reported by fresh Plum. Meanwhile, fresh Plum moisture content was higher than that of fresh Fig the same results for crude fiber, ether extract, total sugars, both reducing, non-reducing sugars, pH value and L-Ascorbic acid were observed. It was noticed that there were significant differences in total sugars between treatments No.T3, T6 (Air dried Fig and Plum immerged in (CMC) solution + calcium chloride solution + sucrose solution) and treatments No. T2, T5 (Air dried Fig and Plum immerged in sucrose solution) compared to control T1, T4 (Air dried Fig and Plum without any treatments). It was observed that there were significant differences between all treatments in total sugars and reducing sugars contents compared to control samples. The obtained results also, recorded that the phytochemical content for all treatments was lower than that observed for fresh samples, meanwhile, treatments No. (T3, T6) had the highest content of phytochemical component compared to other treatments. Using of edible coating protects phytochemical component for dried Fig and Plum. Sensory quality parameters of the coating and osmotic dehydrated Fig and Plum (T3 and T6) showed an excellent organoleptic characteristics of color, taste, odor, texture, and overall palatability as compared to other once. On The other hand, it was noticed that edible coating causes the increasing of shear strength due to decrease of solute up take to texture of samples. Meanwhile, the rate of weight loss, water loss and solid gain was higher in air dried samples immerged in osmotic agent compared to these values which reported by air dried samples immerged in edible coating and osmotic agent in both dehydrated Plum and Fig. It could be concluded that the dehydrated Fig and Plum prepared by using an edible coating agent (CMC) and sucrose syrup at T.S.S. (50%) shows good organoleptic properties and overall acceptability. The chemical and nutritional quality are also not affected due to use edible coating and osmotic drying treatment, and it was best for preparation of dehydrated Fig and Plums with good quality.

Improvement of the Quality and the Shelf Life of Figs (Ficus carica) Using an Alginate–Chitosan Edible Film

The consumption of fresh figs (Ficus carica) has long been associated with longevity and health benefits. However, fresh figs are highly perishable. An alternative to extend the shelf life of this fruit might be the application of an edible film. Thus, in this study, fig fruits collected at two maturity stages (referred as stages III and IV) were coated with an alginate–chitosan bilayer edible (A–Ch BE) film and the main physiological and quality attributes were evaluated during storage at low temperature (6 °C) at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 days of storage. Ethylene and CO2 productions were considered as physiological parameters, while firmness, color changes, weight loss, and visual infection were the quality attributes evaluated. The application of the film reduced CO2 production and increased ethylene emission, regardless of the maturity stage of the figs. Firmness for uncoated figs underwent a significant decrease during storage, exhibiting values lower than 1.0 N. On the contrary, for coated figs, firmness was not only maintained but also even increased up to 3 N, for figs of stage III, and up to 2.5 N for the more mature figs (stage IV). Furthermore, coated figs exhibited better external color retention (ΔE < 2), lower weight loss (∼8 %), and also lower visual fungal contamination (<5 %) than uncoated fruits during the 15 days of storage at 6 °C, regardless the maturity stage. Therefore, the results indicate that application of an A–Ch BE film not only can improve the overall quality of figs (F. carica var. Mission) stored at 6 °C but is also able to extend their shelf life.

Evaluation of different drying systems as an alternative to sun drying for figs (Ficus carica L)

Abstract The aim of this work was to study the effect of different drying systems on the quality characteristics of dried figs as an alternative to sun drying. Fresh figs were dried as follows: drying in a convection oven at different temperatures; pre-treatment by soaking in osmotic solutions at different concentrations; pre-treatment with K 2 CO 3 + olive oil, combined or not with osmotic solutions; pre-treatments with ultrasound combined or not with osmotic solutions; sun drying (control). Moisture, water activity, microbial counts, firmness and sensory quality were measured at the beginning, at the mid-way and at the end points of the drying process. The figs dried with all the artificial drying systems tested needed between 1 and 3 days to reach the required moisture content of 24% wet basis (w.b.), while the sun dried figs needed 15 days to reach the optimal moisture. Regarding mold counts, firmness and sensory quality, the best results were observed for the treatments with ultrasound combined with osmotic solutions. Thus, this treatment could be a good alternative to the sun drying process. Industrial relevance Sun drying of figs is a widely-spread practice in tropical and subtropical countries. Nevertheless, the slowness of the process, depending on the climatic conditions, can result in diverse problems such as the loss of quality and dramatically increases the rapid growth and proliferation of microorganisms such as molds which can produce mycotoxins, resulting in high losses of the product and consequently, economic losses. Therefore, the major problem of these fruits is fungal growth and subsequent mycotoxin production, which are considered an important problem throughout the world in terms of public health, agriculture and economics. For this reason, there is an increasing demand by the productive sector for the development of new drying technologies to shorten the drying time and to enhance the safety of these products by reducing or even inhibiting fungal proliferation due to the optimal and controlled drying conditions of these proposed technologies. This study represents a great opportunity to apply new techniques in order to reduce the drying period and to obtain a product with suitable sensory, safety and quality characteristics. Therefore, this study is a useful tool which will help the productive sector, which is in a critical situation, to avoid all problems mentioned above.

Effect of Irradiation on The Quality of Dried Figs

The research was conducted to find out the effect of solar irradiation on proximate composition of Figs. It was observed that the fresh figs contain 21% moisture, 3.3% ash, 6.61% crude proteins, 2.66%, fats, 4.23% fibers, 69.49% carbohydrate and 410 Kcal/100 g of energy. The total plate count and total caliform count was studied. The highest value of plate count was notes 23000 cfu/g before washing while 13000 cfu/g was reduced after washing the sample and the total caliform value was reduced to 6000 from 8000 cfu/g due to the washing the sample with the double distilled water. The is sample was irradiated for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 kg, respectively for 45 min in gamma research unit at NIFA, Peshawar having the activity of 50 Kci. At last the sample was not infected by insects during the first three months of storage and a little difference in the color from lighter to darker transmittance.

Hairy big-eyed bats are seed predators

![Figure][1] Chiroderma villosum , hairy big-eyed bat, eating a fig. Photo credit: Marco Tschapka. If you think feeding your picky toddler is tough, spare a thought for Insa Wagner. ‘ Chiroderma villosum [hairy big-eyed bats] insist on fresh figs’, says Wagner from the University of

Agronomic behaviour and quality of six fig cultivars for fresh consumption

The purpose of this work was to study the agronomic behaviour and quality of six fig cultivars (the breba and main crops) for fresh consumption grown in Extremadura, an area considered to have a Mediterranean climate. The fig cultivars studied were ‘Cuello Dama Blanco’, ‘Brown Turkey’, ‘Colar Elche’, ‘San Antonio’, ‘Banane’ and ‘Blanca Bétera’, all belonging to the national germplasm bank of fig trees located in Guadajira, Extremadura. Several pomological and agronomic characteristics of these cultivars were determined in four consecutive years (2009–2013). Total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, maturation index (MI) and firmness were also evaluated. Based on these parameters, ‘Banane’ and ‘Brown Turkey’ presented the highest yield of the breba and main crops and also produced the largest fruit in terms of fruit weight and width. ‘Cuello Dama Blanco’ was characterised by presenting the highest TSS and MI levels both the breba and main crops, followed by ‘San Antonio’. In general, all these cultivars have great potential for the fresh fig industry and also have excellent quality attributes that are appreciated by consumers.

Studies on standardization of fig fruit (Ficus caricaL.) powder enriched cookies and its composition

In this study, it is aimed to develop the processing technology for preparation of powder from fresh Fig (Ficus carica L.) fruits and the prepared fig powder was subsequently utilized in cookies. Fig fruits of Dinkar variety were dried in the form of small shreds in a cabinet drier at 60+5oC temperature for 20-24 hrs and powder was obtained by grinding of dried shreds in a grinder. The prepared fig powder was incorporated in cookies preparation at different levels like 0, 6, 12 and 18 %. The proximate composition of fig powder and cookies was evaluated for nutritional and sensory properties. Results of study showed that fig powder enriched cookies containing 12 % fig powder have good nutritional value with acceptable organoleptic qualities. Fig cookies contained 3.1 % dietary fiber, 6.9 % protein, 1.1 % potassium and its reducing and non-reducing sugar content was 53.1 % and 22.9 % respectively.

Practices followed byhalwaisto manufacture figburfi inMaharashtra, India

The fig burfi is a variety of burfi prepared and marketed in Maharashtra and a milk product preferred by the rich section of population. The preparation of fig burfi is a small scale industry and large variations were found in processing steps and ingredients used during manufacture of fig burfi. To know the variation in practices, twenty four halwais from semi-urban, urban and metro market were selected and information from them was collected on pre-structured questionnaires. Most of the halwais (66.67%) used vendor milk for preparation of fig burfi, however, they did not standardize the milk to any fat percentage. Majority of the halwais (70.83 %) used LPG as source of fuel and most of them used non jacketed karahi for preparation of fig burfi. None of the halwais showed preference for any variety or brand of fig to be added in manufacture of fig burfi. However, majority of halwais added dry chaffed fig at the rate 5 to 10 g per L. of milk at pat formation stage of khoa during the manufacture of fig burfi. The addition of synthetic flavour by the halwais was rarely found. Regarding marketing of fig burfi, 62.50 per cent of halwais cut the burfi in square shape pieces weighing about 30-35g. each, wrapped with parchment paper and packed in cardboard boxes. About 41.67 per cent of halwais stored the fig burfi till marketing at 16-200C and nearly half of the halwais did not store the product for more than 2 days, may be due to market demand for fresh fig burfi. The prevailing sale price of fig burfi was in the range of Rs. 150 to 250 per kg depending on the quality of product and location of shop in the market.

Effect of packaging materials on quality losses in fresh fig (Ficus carica L.) fruits during transportation

The protection of the fig fruit quality in the chains from harvesting to marketing is very important. Vibration often causes some damages to perishable fruits in transportation and reduces their quality. The fruit injury due to vibration is related to the transportation characteristics of vehicles, packaging boxes and the conditions of the roads. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of packaging materials to reduce the quality loss of fresh fig during transportation. The experiments were carried out with five packaging materials and three transportation distances. The results showed that the CFB box with news paper lining was not proper for transporting of the fresh fig fruits in all transportation distance. The mass loss and total soluble solids of fresh fig fruits packed in CFB box with paper lining was more than CFB box with polyurethane foam sheet and polyethylene foam sheet. Also the decay loss of fresh fig fruits was more in CFB box with paper lining. Fruits packed in CFB box with polyurethane foam sheet were more firm and extended shelf-life than other packaging material.

Phenolic compounds in fresh and dried figs from Cilento (Italy), by considering breba crop and full crop, in comparison to Turkish and Greek dried figs.

Fresh and dried figs are important components of the Mediterranean diet. In Cilento (Southern Italy), figs belonging to cultivar "Dottato" are used for the production of "PDO Cilento white figs," as dried figs. In this article, we reported the characterization of the phenolic compounds in 19 fig samples: 9 fresh figs cultivar "Dottato" from Cilento (Italy), 10 dried fig samples from Cilento (2), Turkey (6), and Greece (2). The following phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/UV-DAD: chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, luteolin-3,7-di-O-glucoside, luteolin 7-glucoside, apigenin-7-O-rutinoside, rutin, quercetin-3-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside. A discriminative analysis between the peel and pulp of the samples was carried out. The 1st crop ("breba") and the 2nd one (full crop) from Dottato figs were considered, as well as the effect of fig pollination. The majority of the phenolic compounds were predominant in the fig peel. Significant quantitative differences were found among fresh figs, whereas also some qualitative differences were obtained between fresh and dried figs from the same origin in Dottato cultivar, and among dried figs from different origins. Breba crop resulted richer in phenolics than figs of the 2nd crop. Considering the dried figs, the Turkish ones had the highest concentration in phenolic compounds. Other compounds such as the aminoacids tyrosine and tryptophan were also detected by HPLC-DAD analysis in Dottato figs, probably due to the similarity of their chemical structure. The results of this research could be useful to deepen the knowledge about the phenolic composition of a fruit that is particularly appreciated in Mediterranean area and presents an increasing interest worldwide. We also characterized a typical Italian fig (Cilento Dottato) that has relevant economical importance in Southern Italy; thus, our work could be applied by producers and industries for the valorization of dried figs as high-quality products. From the consumer viewpoint, a comparison among dried figs from different origins found on the retail market has a huge significance to inform about what the market offers and what product is the richest one in polyphenol content.

High-throughput sequencing analysis of common fig (Ficus carica L.) transcriptome during fruit ripening

The Ficus carica L. (Moraceae) tree belongs to one of the largest genera of angiosperms and bears a unique closed inflorescence structure. Ripe fresh figs are highly perishable and require delicate postharvest handling. Studying the pathways that lead to fig ripening may provide additional ways of extending their storage life. We selected four developmental stages of fig fruit for transcriptome sequencing and analysis to identify the major active metabolic pathways and transcription factors during fig fruit ripening. We found 12,751 unigenes, 93 % of which were homologous to at least one nonredundant database sequence, and 46,927 singletons, 39 % with a matching sequence from the nonredundant database. Differential activity related to photosynthesis, anthocyanin and volatile metabolism, cell wall and wax metabolism, cell expansion, transcription, DNA metabolism and organization was traced. In addition, ethylene-synthesis genes were identified. Finally, 516 unigenes encoding transcription factors were found which were active in the regulation of early and late ripening processes. Focusing on eight FcMADS-box transcription factors revealed three genes encoding members of the AGL2 (SEP) subfamily, which is closely associated with ripening regulation. This study provides expressed-gene dataset for multiple developmental stages of fig fruit (F. carica), and analysis directed to ripening metabolism, control, and regulation. It provides a potential platform for further studies of this unique plant family and contributes to ripening process research in nonmodel systems.

Deployment of response surface methodology to optimize recovery of dark fresh fig (Ficus carica L., var. Azenjar) total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity

Optimum conditions for extracting total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant activity from fresh dark fig (Ficus carica L.) have been investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). The Box–Behnken design was used to investigate the effects of three independent variables, acetone concentration (40–80%), temperature (25–65°C), and time (60–120min), on the response. Regression analysis showed that about 96% of the variation was explained by the models. P-value for the lack of fit was insignificant which confirmed the validity of models. Response surface analysis showed that the optimal extraction parameters that maximized antioxidants extraction were 63.48% acetone, 115.14min, and 48.66°C. Under optimum conditions the corresponding experimental values for TPC and antioxidant activity were 536.43 and 71.86mgGAE/100gDM. The experimental values are in accordance with those predicted, indicating the suitability of the model and the success of RSM in optimizing the extraction conditions.

Prediction of surface temperature of figs during infrared heating and its effect on the quality

Fresh figs have a short shelf-life due to a fast softening rate and fungal spoilage. Infrared heating treatment as a surface decontamination technique could be applied to the ostiole, where most mould growth is observed. However, the quality of fresh fruits could be degraded if the heat treatment is too severe. The objective of this study is to find the optimal trade-off between a fungal decay reduction and a fruit quality. Figs were treated with infrared heating until they reached maximum temperatures of 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C. A heat transfer model was employed to calculate the treatment time required for each treatment group. Quality assessment was performed after six days of storage at 7 °C. At the lowest heating treatment group of 50 °C, a suppression of fungal development was achieved without a significant heat injury.