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Pollination of the Mediterranean Fig Tree, Ficus Carica L.: Caprification Practices and Social Networks of Exchange of Caprifigs among Jbala Farmers in Northern Morocco

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Abstract

The Mediterranean fig (Ficus carica) is dioecious, with distinct male and female trees. Its pollinator, Blastophaga psenes, is hosted within male figs. We studied caprification, a practice to facilitate pollination by placing male figs from which pollinators emerge in female trees, among Jbala farmers in Morocco to analyze (1) farmers’ knowledge of the pollinator’s life cycle and receptivity of female figs; (2) the distribution of female fig varieties and diversity of male trees planted; and (3) the roles of social exchange networks in securing access to caprifigs using participant observation, open and semi-structured surveys, and an ego-centered protocol to study caprifig exchange networks. We document farmers’ knowledge regarding caprification, the pollinator life cycle, and the caprification of intermediate male fig generations under adverse climatic conditions. Caprifig exchange networks show the critical role of markets in obtaining caprifigs for early fig varieties and in exchanges among farmers for late varieties.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. The raw data supporting these analyses will be made available by the authors, without reservation.

Notes

  1. Translation of verbatim quotations of farmers.

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Acknowledgements

Authors would like to thank the farmers of the village Talandaoued, who have collaborated with the ethnobotanists of our team since 2009 and facilitated access to the field. We also thank Jennifer McKey for her help with the preparation of Fig. 1, and Doyle McKey for his constructive comments on the manuscript and help in editing the language and style.

Funding

This study was made possible thanks to funding from the MedFigsClim project supported by the Mission for Transversal and Interdisciplinary Initiatives (MITI) of the CNRS and from the BIODIVMEX Mistrals CNRS program. The project was also supported by a formal partnership with TEDAEEP Research Team, FPL, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Larache, Morocco, within its thematic project of Ficus carica.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TEDAEEP Research Team, FPL, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Larache, Morocco

    Y. Hmimsa, S. El Fatehi & H. Kahi

  2. CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France

    A. Ramet, M. Hossaert-McKey, J. Munch, M. Proffit & Y. Aumeeruddy-Thomas

  3. CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France

    C. Dubuisson

  4. IRD, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, UMR 208 Paloc « Patrimoines locaux et gouvernance », Paris, France

    M. Salpeteur

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  1. Y. Hmimsa
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Contributions

Y.H. and Y.A.T. designed the study. A.R., H.K., J.M. Y.H. and Y.A.T. collected the data. Y.H., Y.A.T., A.R., S.E. and M.S. analysed and interpreted the data. Y.A.T. obtained the funding. Y.H. and Y.A.T. wrote the manuscript with the assistance of all authors.

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Correspondence to Y. Hmimsa.

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Hmimsa, Y., Ramet, A., Dubuisson, C. et al. Pollination of the Mediterranean Fig Tree, Ficus Carica L.: Caprification Practices and Social Networks of Exchange of Caprifigs among Jbala Farmers in Northern Morocco. Hum Ecol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-024-00493-6

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