I remember reading a post on this forum that UC Davis grafts potentially healthy scion to FMV infected trees. Is that true and if so why?

My question would be similar -- since there are ways to clean up tissue in the lab, why haven't they established a FMV free collection. My guesses would be a lack of funds or interest, or perhaps they consider it benign.

What can we do as a community to ensure the continued existence and access for the masses to this institution? Yadda out.

Are they really interested in the feedback from backyard growers who procure cuttings from them? What do they want to know?

(1) DEMAND not (repeat NOT) to 'speed up' newly acquired fig
cultivars by grafting onto already FMV infected 'foster'
parent figs.
(2) Expedite the fig DNA (confusion-name) analysis thing...

Not sure how to phrase this, but here it is...
(3) THINK of us north people!
UCD tends/tended to breed figs with mostly the 'commercial'
market in mind. Produced mostly 'white' figs. What about
the 'black' figs that are usually MORE eye appealing
and tasting???????

(3A) AND WHAT ABOUT FIG HARDINESS (for us)!!!???

(4) Regarding UCD provided cuttings,
(much thanks, but please)
specify VERY clearly
IF any fig caprification is needed
(CA went thought this - remember the Smyra vs Calmrra thing!).

George (NJ).

Regarding my (3A) hardiness question,
I would like to retract that one. The
reason that it is in BOLD, is that I already
had inquired/suggested it, but was totally
ignored! Now, thinking hard, I realize that
it is very hard to do it in (balmy/hot) CA.
That entity is more suited for study to more
cold 'naturual climate' plant brain-surgeons...

Hi George:Your Points are very important to us but not to them.
Things are going to change at UCDAVIS ,to our Advantage.You See The Ca.Dry fig industry,is bankrupt.One reason,for it was the the health of their trees wich could not compete with Turks,italian greeks,etc.
And we know why,but they did not get it since 1900,to now.
Any way this year they shifted from dry figs to fresh figs.
They want to replant all orchards with varieties that produce a superior fig for fresh consumption.
That is Why now they enlarged their collection with almost 200 new varieties latelly.
It will be both black and white figs.
One thing they should do is :Do not use the grafting procedure again.
I bet they will not renounce to this easy way to get fast fruits for tasting.
And if they keep the old way,they will fail again.God Help them

One of these days I may learn how to spell these 2 words!
Correction:
(CA went thought this - remember the Smyra vs Calmrra thing!).
= (CA went through this - remember the Smyrna vs. Calimyrna thing!).

Answers at http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/figs4funforum/vpost?id=2153298&pid=20447646#post20447646

Jon,
Many thanks for posting the replies to our questions. It's very interesting to read.

You include this aside regarding FMV plants:
"If USDA / NGCR were to successfully "clean" their collection, it would be of not value to me, or anyone else who has FMV in their existing trees and locality, and any non-infected trees would soon become re-infected."

I disagree. Granted the private collector would be loathe to give up their collection just so they can start again FMV free. But the commercial orchardist or nursery owner would not have the same reluctance. It's part of business from time to time to plough up hundreds of acres of trees in order to re-plant in response to shifts in the market or disease pressures. Since, as the UC-Davis spokesperson noted, their program was established to support the CA fig industry, I could see it might be well worth their while to eliminate FMV to increase fruit production. Papers I've read on the Acta Horticulturae web site seem to indicate that this has been done in the Turkish fig industry, at least on an experimental basis. If Davis is unable to keep FMV free stock clean, it most likely due to not maintaining a clean buffer zone from infected ones, whether in their collection or in the wild.