Fig Mosaic Talk!!

19 years ago

I was observing my figs for a few years now.

What i learn is in contradiction with what the fig literature is saying about fig Mosaic.

First observation is that the fig mosaic does not move from one tree to other without human intervention(Grafting,infected shears).

I also learn that it must be more than one strain of fig mosaic.

The most damaging is the strain coming with the UCDAVIS cuttings.

I havefigs that came with fig mosaic from other soyurces and they grown just fine and produce good harvest,The figs from UCDAVIS i have about 15,of them,some for as long as 4 years,and none is taller that 20 inches,and produced no more that one handfull of figs,if at all.

Two of this figs are the best i like in taste.

They are Adriatic and Col de Dame.

Last year they gave me a handfull of figs each and i love the flavor.

I planted them in the best position 2 foot from house and in south of it.

This year they again had dead branches within 6 inche of grownd.

They started growing and show more fig mosaic than last year.

Adriatic has only 3 fruits,and Col de Dame has none as we speak.

So I think I will have to look elswhere for this two cultivars,that have a different origin than UCDAVIS,because it might come with a fig mosaic that is easyer on the tree.

Once i find and grow new trees from new sources,then i trow the Adriatic ,and col de Dame from UCDavis.

I also want to discard this Fall all the ucDavis cultivars that are older than 3 years and did not fruit as they should.Peace

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Comments (3)

gene_washdc
19 years ago
Herman,
I agree with you in regards to figs from UC-Davis. Of all the figs I've gotten from them over the last 5 years, none have ever grown or produced sufficiently to warrant keeping. IÂve gotten other figs with mosaic from other people that have preformed fine. I donÂt know what the difference is Â maybe youÂre right that those from Davis have a different and more dehabilitating strain of the virus.
chills71
19 years ago
Of the varieties I have (mostly all from DAVIS) Calvert is the variety which seems most strongly affected by FMV. (btw Calvert produced a breba this year, but it was dry and fibrous when it finally fell from the fig).

Brown Turkey, Golden Celeste and UCR 143-36 show signs, but they are not badly affected. One of the BT is worse than the other.

I have an unknown (probably Brown Turkey) which shows no signs of FMV (at least I haven't noticed any in almost 3 years). It is not separated from the other figs by much more than about 10 feet of distance (and it is the only one in the ground).

~Chills
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castlemaster
19 years ago
Interesting observations

Here's some info I found surfing. The quote from ucdavis is a bit ironic.

"The virus may be transmitted by vegetative propagation of infected cuttings from diseased trees and by budding or grafting of infected propagative buds or scions. The successful transmission of the virus by an eriophyid mite, Aceria ficus Cotte, has also been reported by Flock and Wallace (6). The virus is not sap or seed transmissible."
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/pathology/pathcirc/pp64.pdf

"The mouth parts of the eriophyid mite are so small, it can penetrate plant cells without causing cell death;"
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/erio.html

"COMMENTS ON THE DISEASE
Black Mission is the most seriously damaged cultivar; Kadota and Calimyrna are the least affected. Ficus palmata, or trees derived from seedlings having F. palmata as the male parent, appear to be immune to mosaic. The fig mosaic is vectored by the eriophyid mite Aceria fici; feeding by a single mite is sufficient to transmit the virus to a healthy seedling of F. carica. The virus can also be transmitted by grafting, but it is not seed borne.
MANAGEMENT
For tree propagation material, choose trees that do not show symptoms of mosaic. Examine propagated young plants carefully for symptoms of mosaic before planting them in the field. Never plant fig cultivars that are propagated from mosaic-infected trees. Controlling fig mites may help reduce incidence of this disease."
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r261100611.html