Fig

FryuT and flower

Ficus carica is an Asian species of flowering plants in the mulberry family, known as the common fig (or just the fig).

Origin of figs

It is the source of the fruit also called the fig, and as such is an important crop in those areas where it is grown commercially. Native to the Middle East and western Asia, it has been sought out and cultivated since ancient times, and is now widely grown throughout the world, both for its fruit and as an ornamental plant.

Biology Description

Ficus carica is a gynodioecious (functionally dioecious), deciduous tree or large shrub, growing to a height of 7-10 metres (23-33 ft), with smooth white bark. Its fragrant leaves are 12-25 centimetres (4.7-9.8 in) long and 10–18 centimetres (3.9-7.1 in) across, and deeply lobed with three or five lobes. The complex inflorescence consists of a hollow fleshy structure called the syconium, which is lined with numerous unisexual flowers.

The fruit is 3-5 centimetres (1.2-2.0 in) long, with a green skin, sometimes ripening towards purple or brown. Ficus carica has milky sap (laticifer). The sap of the fig's green parts is an irritant to human skin.

Fig culture in the districts of Kakhetia

The remoteness of Fig culture in Kakhetia remains unknown, as there are neither oral nor written data to testily to it. That it is partly endemic show wild forms met in the Kakhetia lowland (in the gorges of David-Garedjo), and fig shrubs gone wild growing on the slopes of mountains and in the gorges of the inner Kakhetia.

These wild shrubs originated from seeds brought by birds in their excrements or in fruit morcels. Once in the soil, those seeds germinated to give in unfavorable conditions of growth forms returned to the wild type, what expresses itself through depressed growth and fruits or leaves running small.

Whole overgrowths of wild fig shrubs could appear in Kakhetia if local sorts had perfectly fertile seeds. But, as the study of pollination processes shows, their fruits are selffertilized, or apogamic, or even parthenocarpic, because of why the seeds of the Kakhetian fig sorts germinate at a rather low rate.

Certainly some clone forms could originate here though an attentive studi of sorts suggest the idea that many of them were introduced from neighbouring countries, i.e. Iran, Turkey and others.

fig tree

The introduction of foreign sorts continues even presently.

During many centuries the introduced assortment has been subjected to acclimatization and intuitive selection. After considerable elimination, the best clones persisted till our days through vegetative propagation.

In view of their clone propagation and the closed fertilization of fruits it is needless to suppose any possibility of great changes appearing in the introduced sorts, or their transformation in some other agricultural crop.

Presently, the fig culture has not yet attained commercial importance in Kakhetia; notwithstanding, from its higher parts to the lowland steppes, on both bank of the river Alazan, there hardly exsist a dwelling around which 3,5,8 specimens of this valuable tree do not grow.

Fig culture is especially successful in low Kakhetia where it bears already a somewhat commercial chatacter.

Nearly everywhere the fruit are used for drying.

Dried figs

With regard to a comparatively good quality of fruits and a good production of dried figs, the following selsoviets are distinguished, in low Kakhetia: Bakurtzikhe, Kardanakhi, Gurjaani, Mukusani, Shroma and others and in the Transalazan district Kvareli.

Peculiar climatic conditions of the Lagodekhi district favour thr cultivation of table and preserving sorts of fig. There are met also single specimens of fig trees belonging to the so-called Smyrna type requiring caprification in order to get the fruits mature.

Agricultural engineering is quite primitive in Kakhetia.

The figs are propagated by cuttings, layers and seldom by grafting. One year growth 30-60 cm. long is used for cuttings; they are prepared in March-April; as a rule, cutting get rooted at the same place where the future tree has to grow; they develop into shrubs, more seldom in the form of a tree with one trunk.

Pruning for fructification is nowhere used in Kakhetia, only dry wood and mechanical injuries being pruned. Symptoms of decrepitude appearing rejuvenation is applied to shrubs by means of pruning down to the rootneck and to trees with one trunk by means of pruning round to the first leaders.

The only way of manuring consists of ash put above the soll, what makes it greatly liable to be washed of by showers.

Irrigation is not everywhere used.

In the Transalazan district where vineyards as well as orchards are irrigated, the fig tree receives water along with other fruit trees.

The sort composition in the districts of Kakhetia cannot be called varied. Among about twenty cultivated sorts p Of figs we find the following deserving some attention of agriculturists:

1. Tetri legvi – with large white fruits.
2. Shavi legvi – with large black fruits.
3. Kalakura legvi – with whitish-green fruits tinted yellowish.
4. Tabaka legvi – with flat fruits.
5. Glekhura legvi (peasant’s fig) – with small black fruits.
6. Mtzvane legvi (the green fig).
7. Okro legvi – with small golden coloroud fruits
8. Shakara legvi (the sugary fig) –with small fruits.
9. Dzudzua legvi(the breast-like) – with spherical fruits.
10. Shashalaka legvi – with violet fruits.
11. Gvina legvi – with viny coloured fruits.
12. Osmaluri or Didi Osmaluri (Large Turkish fig).

source

საქართველოს კულტურული ფლორის ატლასი = Атлас культурной флоры Грузии = Atlas for the cultivated Flora of Georgia / ნ. ხომეზურიშვილი და ელ. ერისთავი ; საქართველოს სსრ მიწსახკომი. ლ.პ. ბერიას სახელ. სას.-სამ. ინსტიტუტი. - თბილისი : ტექნიკა და შრომა, 1939-1951. - 30 სმ[MFN: 51572] თემატიკა: - საქართველოს კულტურული ფლორის ატლასები; ტ. 2 : საქართველოს სამრეწველო ხილის ჯიშები = Промышленные сорта плодов Грузии = Varietes of commercial Georgian Fruits. - 1941. - 217, LIV გვ. : ილ., 71 ჩართ. ფურც. ფერ. ილ.. - დამატებითი თავფურცელი რუსულ, ინგლისურ ენებზე. - ტექსტი ქართულ, რუსულ, ინგლისურ ენებზე. - 73მ., ყდა 7მ., 2500ც.[MFN: 52879] UDC: 634.1/7:631.526.32 თემატიკა: - ხილის ჯიშები საქართველოში;