Improvement of Fig (Ficus carica L.) by Conventional Breeding and Biotechnology

Abstract

The common fig ( Ficus carica L.), family Moraceae, is the only member in the genus cultivated for its fruits. For the past several decades, severe genetic erosion has threatened fig germplasm . Therefore, several fig collections were established in Asia, Europe, North America and North Africa. Fig cultivars are usually characterized using traditional methods based on phenotypic characters. However, molecular identification of fig cultivars has been carried out using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) , inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR ) and single sequence repeats (SSR ) molecular markers . Marker -assisted selection is used to identify a character of interest such as yield , fruit quality , biotic and abiotic stress resistance . Induced mutations are desirable in fig improvement for important fruit characters such as small ostiole size, large fruit size and fruit flesh quality . Fig mosaic disease (FMD) is one of the major diseases of fig found throughout the world. Different fig improvement breeding methods are described in this chapter including conventional breeding and biotechnology approaches.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Research Institutes

Institute/University/Faculty	Specialization and research activity	Contact information
Fig Research Institute—Erbeyli Incirliova, Aydin Turkey	Fig research	http://www.gfar.net/organizations/fig-research-institute-erbeyli
Ege University Faculty of Agriculture, Bornova Izmir Turkey	Breeding crop	Prof. Aksoy Uygun E-mail: uygun.aksoy@ege.edu.tr
National Clonal Germplasm Repository, University of California Davis California USA	Collection , preservation, evaluation , and distribution the genetic resources of the crops	https://www.ars-grin.gov/ https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/davis-ca/natl-clonal-germplasm-rep-tree-fruit-nut-crops-grapes/ Research leader E-mail: john.preece@ars.usda.gov
Estacion Experimental la Mayora, CSIC, 29750 Algarrobo-Costa, Malaga Spain	Genetic resources conservation and evaluation	Dr. Esther Giraldo E-mail: esthergiraldo@yahoo.es
Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen de Porquerolles, Parc National de Port-Cros, Castel Ste Claire France	Collection , preservation, evaluation , genetic resources of the crops	http://www.cbnmed.fr/pres/index.php
Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknès Meknès Morocco	Agriculture development research	http://www.enameknes.ac.ma/
Arid Regions of Medenine (IRA) Médenine Tunisia	Agriculture research , conservation biodiversity and combating desertification	http://www.Ira.agrinet.tn Dr. Fateh Aljane E-mail: fateh_aljane@yahoo.fr
Pépinière Baud 910 Chemin du Parrot Le Palis Vaison La Romaine France	Conservation and propagation of pomegranate and fig trees	http://www.fig-baud.com/catalogue.html E-mail: pepinières@fig-baud.com

Appendix 2

Genetic Resources of Fig

Characteristics of some local fig ( Ficus carica L.) cultivars maintained ex situ in the germplasm collection of the Institute of Arid Regions (IRA), Medenine, Tunisia Cultivars	Important traits				Cultivation location/department in Tunisia
	Fig type	Fruit shape	External color	Fruit weight
Bayoudhi2	Common	Spheroid without neck	Green yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Toujen (Médenine)
Bither1	San Pedro	Oblate without neck	Yellow/green yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Ghadhabna (Mahdia)
Bither2	San Pedro	Globosely without neck	Light red	Medium 20–39 g	Kerkennah (Sfax)
Bither3	San Pedro	Oblate without neck	Yellow	Large 40–60 g	Kerkennah (Sfax)
Bither4	San Pedro	Oblate without neck	Green yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Toujen (Médenine)
Bither Akhal	San Pedro	Oblate with neck/oblate without neck	Red yellowish/dark red	Large 40–60 g	Zarzis (Médenine)
Bouholi	San Pedro	Oblate with neck/spheroid without neck	Purple/light red/dark purple	Medium 20–39 g	Djébba (Béjà)
Châari	Smyrna	Spheroid with neck	Yellow	Medium 20–39 g	Zarzis (Médenine)
Croussi	Smyrna	Oblate without neck/oblate with neck	Dark red	Medium 20–39 g	Beni Kheddâche (Médenine)
Jemâaoui	Smyrna	Globosely without neck/pyriform with long and curved neck	Red yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Zammour (Médenine)
Khadhouri3	Smyrna	Spheroid without neck	Green yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Djerba (Médenine)
Makhbech	Common	Globosely with neck	Green	Medium 20–39 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Magouli1	Smyrna	Oblate without neck	Green	Medium 20–39 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Magouli2	Smyrna	Spheroid without neck	Yellow	Medium 20–39 g	Djerba (Médenine)
Minouri	Smyrna	Spheroid with neck	Red yellowish	Small < 20 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Nasri	Smyrna	Globosely with neck/pyriform with massif neck	Red yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Toujen (Médenine)
Ragoubi	Smyrna	pyriform with long and curved neck	Red yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Zammour (Médenine)
Romani	Common	Oblate without neck	Red yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Tayouri Ahmar	Smyrna	Spheroid with neck/globosely with neck	Yellow	Medium 20–39 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Tayouri Asfar	Smyrna	Pyriform with long and curved neck	Red/dark red/purple blackish	Large 40–60 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Tayouri Akhdhar	Smyrna	Oblate without neck/oblate with neck	Red yellowish	Large 40–60 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Safouri	Smyrna	Spheroid without neck/pyriform with massive neck	Yellow	Medium 20–39 g	Zammour (Médenine)
Sawoudi8	Smyrna	Pyriform with massif neck	Green	Large 40–60 g	Toujen (Médenine)
Wedlani	Common	Spheroid without neck/oblate with neck	Purple greenish/dark red	Medium 20–39 g	Zammour (Médenine)
Zaghoubi	Smyrna	Pyriform with massive neck/pyriform with long and curved neck	Red yellowish	Medium 20–39 g	Beni Kheddâche (Médenine)
Zidi1	Smyrna	Pyriform with massive neck	Red purple blackish	Large 40–60 g	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Zidi2	Smyrna	Pyriform without differentiated neck	Red	Medium 20–39 g	Djébba (Béjà)
Zidi3	Smyrna	Pyriform with massive neck	Light Red	Medium 20–39 g	Dégâche (Tozeur)
Zidi4	Smyrna	pyriform with long and curved neck	Red	Medium 20–39 g	Ghannouch (Gabès)
Zidi5	Smyrna	pyriform with long and curved neck	Purple	Medium 20–39 g	Massjed Aissa (Sousse)

Cultivars	Important traits				Cultivation location/department in Tunisia
	Fruit length	Fruit diameter	Skin thickness	Ostiole opening
Bayoudhi2	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Toujen (Médenine)
Bither1	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Ghadhabna (Mahdia)
Bither2	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Kerkennah (Sfax)
Bither3	Short 29–45 mm	Large 50–60 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Kerkennah (Sfax)
Bither4	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Toujen (Médenine)
Bither Akhal	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Open > 3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Zarzis (Médenine)
Bouholi	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Open > 3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Djébba (Béjà)
Châari	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Zarzis (Médenine)
Croussi	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–05 mm	Beni Kheddâche (Médenine)
Jemâaoui	Medium 46–54 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Zammour (Médenine)
Khadhouri3	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Djerba (Médenine)
Makhbech	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Magouli1	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Magouli2	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Djerba (Médenine)
Minouri	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Closed < 1 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Nasri	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Toujen (Médenine)
Ragoubi	Long 55–75 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Zammour (Médenine)
Romani	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Open > 3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Tayouri Ahmar	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Tayouri Asfar	Long 55–75 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Open > 3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Tayouri Akhdhar	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Open > 3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Safouri	Medium 46–54 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Zammour (Médenine)
Sawoudi8	Short 29–45 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Toujen (Médenine)
Wedlani	Short 29–45 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Open > 3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Zammour (Médenine)
Zaghoubi	Medium 46–54 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Beni Kheddâche (Médenine)
Zidi1	Long 55–75 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Bir Amir (Tataouine)
Zidi2	Medium 46–54 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Thick > 1.5 mm	Djébba (Béjà)
Zidi3	Medium 46–54 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Medium 1–105 mm	Dégâche (Tozeur)
Zidi4	Medium 46–54 mm	Small 28–38 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Thick > 1.5 mm	Ghannouch (Gabès)
Zidi5	Long 55–75 mm	Medium 39–49 mm	Semi-open 1–3 mm	Fine < 1 mm	Massjed Aissa (Sousse)