Fig Cultivation in India: Uses, Varieties & Step-by-Step Cultivation Process

Table of Contents

• Overview of Fig
• What are the uses of Fig?
• What are the Popular Types and Cultivars of Fig in India?
  • Common Fig
  • Capri Fig
  • Smyrna Fig
  • Sanpedro Fig
• What is the step-by-step cultivation process of Fig in India?
  • Soil & Climate Requirements
  • Propagation & Planting
  • Training & Pruning
  • Irrigation
  • Manure & Fertilizers
  • Pests & Diseases
  • Harvesting & Yield
  • Post-Harvest Process

Overview of Fig

Fig, popularly known as 'anjeer' in India, is botanically called 'Ficus carica,' which means forbidden fruit. It is a part of Moraceae farming, originating in the southern parts of Arabian Peninsula, USSR, and Italy. Its cultivation is spread through Asia Minor and all countries of the Mediterranean region. In India, Fig is one of the traditional Mediterranean species.

Fig is a highly nutritious fruit with low acid content and high sugar. It represents an important constituent of the diet because of its medicinal and nutritional values. Fig is rich in calories, protein, calcium, and iron, and it has the highest fiber content among fruits. Dry Fig has a nutritional index of 11 compared to apple (9), raisin (8), and date and peer (6). The flavour and chemical composition of figs vary with cultivar. Fresh and dehydrated figs both are rich in biochemical and nutritional content.

What are the uses of Fig?

• Fig fruits are consumed in fresh, preserved, dried or canned form.
• It is very much reputed as dried fruit and is processed into paste and jelly.
• It is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and dietary fiber.
• Fid fruit is fat and cholesterol-free and features high antioxidant activity.
• It has low moisture content, which ensures less change of microbial spoilage and makes large-scale production and distribution possible.
• The fig leaves are also used for fodder in India.
• Fig fruits possess laxative properties, and their dried latex powder is used in coagulating milk to make cheese and junket.

What are the Popular Types and Cultivars of Fig in India?

Figs are classified into four types based on the method of pollination and the nature of flowers. The popular types are Common Fig, Capri fig, Smyrna fig, and Sanpedro fig. Let's discuss each of them in brief:

Common Fig

It is the most widely grown Fig in India that grows with pistillate flowers. Its fruits are developed by parthenocarpy, which means without the stimulation of pollination and fertilization. Some popular cultivars of common Fig are Kadota, Adriatic, Mission, Brown Turkey, Conadria, and Celeste.

Capri Fig

The capri fig features short-styled pistillate and functional staminate flowers. They are not usually edible but are grown because they harbour a small wasp, Blastophaga psenes, which is important for pollination and fruit set in other fig types, such as Smyrna fig, by moving the pollen grains from the capri fig.

Smyrna Fig

It is commercially the most essential type of Fig. Although its fruits develop when the flowers are pollinated with the pollen from capri fig's male flowers, moved by the Blastophaga wasp. The most common cultivar of this type is Calimyrna.

Sanpedro Fig

In Sanperdo fig, the first crop is totally parthenocrpic, but the second crop develops only if the flowers are pollinated. The most common cultivars of Sanpedro fig are Sanpedro, Gentile, and King.

What is the step-by-step cultivation process of Fig in India?

The Fig cultivation process involves several stages, including soil & climate requirements, propagation & planting, training & pruning, irrigation, manure & fertilizers, pests & diseases, harvesting & yield, and post-harvest process. Let's discuss each step in detail:

Soil & Climate Requirements

Fig trees thrive on different types of soil, but they grow well in deep, alkaline clay loam soil. The best type of soil best-suited for fig cultivation is alluvial clay loam or medium black soils, which have good moisture-holding capacity and are well-drained.

Fig is a subtropical fruit, and the mature fig trees can withstand a low temperature of 12°C to 9.5°C. However, the young growing crops need to be protected during the winter. The ideal temperature for the growth of fig trees is 15.5 to 21°C.

Propagation & Planting

The common method of propagation in fig cultivation is rooting of hard wood cuttings. However, other methods of propagation, like budding, grafting, and air layering, are also considered successful.

In Northern India, the root cuttings should be planted during the monsoon or spring season. A spacing of 8 × 8 m should be kept during the plantation of Fig. In arid regions, plantation of Fig should be done at a spacing of 6X6 m. The pits should be dug at least one month before plantation and should be filled with a mixture of FYM or compost and garden soil.

Training & Pruning

Training of fig trees should be done annually, and trees should be trained to a desired shape and height to ensure maximum production and facilitate harvesting and other orchard applications. The primary shoot of fig tree should be headed back at 70-80 cm from ground level after a year of planting, allowing the growth of side shoots to train the tree in an open center system.

Fig trees should also be pruned annually to encourage the growth of flowering bearing wood for more yield.

Irrigation

In fig cultivation, the first irrigation should be applied immediately after plantation. Fig tree is resistant to drought; however, in arid regions with light soil, irrigation should be applied frequently, especially during the first two years of plantation. During May-June, irrigation should be provided at 4-5 days' intervals. During February to April, irrigation should be applied at 10-15 days intervals. Irrigation should be avoided during the monsoon season except in case of long dry periods. No irrigation should be allowed from November to January to impose dormancy.

Manure & Fertilizers

Figs respond well to manuring. It is recommended to apply a quantity of 20 kg of FYM, 500 to 600 grams of N and 350 to 400 grams of P2O5 per year per tree.

Pests & Diseases

Fig crops are susceptible to several pests and diseases. The major pests that can harm the fig plant are beetles, stem boring, leaf defoliators, Fig flies, and scale insects. The major diseases that occur in fig trees are leaf spots (Cylindrocladium scorpium) and rust caused by Cercothium fici.

Harvesting & Yield

Fig fruits are ready for harvest when their colour changes from light green to dark brown on ripening. They also become soft and wilt at the neck, hanging down by their own weight. The fruit yield of a single fig tree is around 180 to 360 units. A well-managed fig orchard can offer an average yield of 12 tons per hectare.

Post-Harvest Process

The post-harvest process of Fig involves three different steps, including Grading, Packing, and Storage.

Grading: Figs should be stored carefully after picking, and diseased and damaged ones should be culled. Fig fruits are graded for size, such as 50 grams, 40 to 50 grams, and 30 to 40 grams.

Packing: After grading, fig fruits should be packed in a corrugated box (CFB) carton of 3 ply that should have 12 holes for ventilation. They should be arranged in the carton in two layers, each of 28, which includes 4 rows of 7 figs in a line. Additionally, fig leaves are used as a cushioning material.

Storage: Fresh fig fruits are quite perishable, so they must be stored with utmost care. They should be stored at a temperature of 40 to 43°C, and humidity should be 75%. Figs will remain fine for 8 days, but when removed from storage, their shelf life is only 1 to 2 days. Figs remain good for 21 days if kept at 10°C and 85% humidity, and the fruits remain good for 30 days when stored at a temperature of 0 to 1.67°C. If kept in frozen conditions, they can be maintained for several months.