SUMMARYThe worldwide cultivation of fig (Ficus carica L.) has achieved great economic importance, mainly, due to its important role as a food supplement. This situation has generated great interest in researching its methods of production, processing and conservation. The objective of this research was to evaluate six intensive production systems of fig in hydroponic and greenhouse conditions. The experimental phase started on November 15, 2010 and was completed in September 2011. Production systems were established by varying the number of productive stems between three and eight in each plant, with densities of 1.25 plants m−2. A completely experimental – randomized design was used with five replications, with a pot and a plant as an experimental unit. The results indicate that the highest yielding of fresh fruit was presented by eight productive stems (109.5 t ha−1), this one outperformed the seven productive stems (94.8 t ha−1) in 13.3% and six productive stems (78.6 t ha−1), at 26.8%. The handling of productive stems allowed an increase in the leaf area index, harvest index and fruit yielding. These results suggest that intensive production in hydroponic and greenhouse conditions of fig is an excellent alternative production, allowing to collect up to 20 times of fresh fruit yielding in relation to the plantations in the open field.

ABSTRACT. The common fig (Ficus carica L.) was introduced intoMexico by Spanish Franciscan missionaries in the 16th century. It is widely assumed that Mexican figs are the Spanish cultivar Black Mission. We collected and propagated 12 fig plants from six landraces from different states in Central Mexico that represent different climate. All of them were grown in a greenhouse at Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, in the State of Mexico. During the experimental period, the greenhouse had an average temperature and relative humidity of 29.2° ± 5.4°C (SEM) and 78.1 ± 6.7% (SEM), respectively. Morphological characterization was done following a selected set of quantitative and qualitative descriptors established by the IPGRI. DNA analysis was based on a combination of ISSR and RFLP markers. We observed great diversity mainly in fruit weight (28.1-96.2 g), fruit shape (ovoid, pyriform), and neck length (0.97-3.80 cm), which could not be explained by environmental conditions such as temperature and relative humidity. The Nei and Li/Dice similarity coefficient between landraces was determined by cluster analysis using the UPGMA method. Based on the morphological characterization and DNA fingerprinting data presented in this study, our results showed that after hundreds of years, black figs have adapted to local environmental condition in Central Mexico, yielding at least six clearly distinct landraces that represent valuable and previously undescribed genetic diversity. We also suggested names for those landraces according to their location and established a basis for further agronomic and molecular characterization of fig landraces.

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