Fig Production and Germplasm in Turkey

*Emine Tanriver*

## **Abstract**

Turkey is one of the most important genetic origins of fig (*Ficus carica* L.) in the world, and it extended to the Mediterranean countries (Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Portugal.), USA, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Caucasia, and Crimea. Fig germplasm in Turkey is located mainly at the Big Meander Valley and Small Meander Valley in the Aegean Region but also widely seen in the Southeast Anatolia, the Marmara, and the Mediterranean regions. Siirt, Bottan, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Gaziantep, Besni, Kahramanmaras, Ceyhan, and Ahir Mountain are the main fig germplasm locations at the Southeast Anatolia and the Mediterranean regions. These germplasm (285 fig cultivars and genotypes) are mainly collected at the orchards of Erbeyli Fig Research Institute in Aydın Province. Fig production of Turkey is about 305.689 tons in 1.152.799 tons of world fig production. Turkey is the biggest fig-producing country and is followed by Greece, the USA, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Dried figs (mainly Sarilop cultivar) are obtained from Aydin Province in the Aegean region, while fresh figs are obtained from the Marmara and Mediterranean regions.

**Keywords:** Turkey, fig, germplasm, production

### **1. Introduction**

There are eight germplasm centers in the world which are (1) China; (2) India, Malaysia, and Thailand; (3) Middle Asia; (4) Near East; (5) Mediterranean; (6) Ethiopia; (7) South Mexico and Middle America; and (8) South America. Turkey is located both very close to the Near East and the Mediterranean basins [1, 2]. This shows the importance of Turkey as a plant germplasm center. The reason of this rich germplasm in Turkey is mainly based on the suitable ecological conditions for horticultural plants, the presence of the country on the migration routes, and Anatolia being a place where many civilizations have occurred since the first ages of the history. So, Turkey is one of the main origins of many fruit species as well as fig which was especially located at the Anatolian part of the country [3]. Some of the main fig-growing provinces are given in **Table 1**.

*Ficus* is a genus belonging to the Moraceae family and contains more than 800 species, among which *Ficus carica* is one of the most important edible ones [4]. Fig culture in Anatolia has begun from the very beginning of the cultural history of the human being. Fig (*Ficus carica* L.) is extended from Anatolia to the Mediterranean countries, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, South Caucasia, and Crimea. *Ficus* also originated in Egypt, India, and South China. California in the USA, South and South West Africa, and East Australia are the later cultural centers of *Ficus carica*. Fig is a special fruit called syconium, grown in temperate, subtropical, and tropical climates.

#### *Modern Fruit Industry*


#### **Table 1.**

*The production area and the yield in fig-growing provinces.*


**107**

dry fig fruit.

*Fig Production and Germplasm in Turkey DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86997*

content, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, etc.

**2. Pomological classification and cultivars**

cultivar of this group.

Fig is a sacred fruit from the very historical times in three of the religions. Fig has high nutritional and medicinal value with the phenolic compounds, antioxidant

In Turkey, fig culture is seen in almost every part of the country except the very continental climatic areas of the Middle and East Anatolia. Southeast Anatolia is very rich with fig germplasm. High extension of *Ficus carica* in Anatolia, from BC, caused the occurrence of wild genotype *F. carica* erinosyce and two other cultural forms, *F. carica* caprificus (male fig) and *F. carica* domestica (female fig). There are

some other *Ficus* species and forms in Anatolia such as *F. palmata* Schweinf;

F. c. var. rupestris, Hauska; *F. carica* var. kurdica, Kotschy; *F. carica*. Var. domestica, Tschirch; *F. carica* var. riparium, Hauskn; and *F. carica* var. Johannis, Boiss [5]. Almost all the coastal lines of the country such as Aegean, Mediterranean, Marmara, and Black Sea regions are the main areas for fig production. However, the best dry fig is grown at the Big Meander Valley and Small Meander Valley of the Aegean Region with a wonderful quality. In this area there is an institute (Erbeyli Fig Research Institute) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry mainly carrying on *Ficus* research at the orchards with 285 fig cultivars and genotypes (**Table 2**). According to the statistical data, among 1.152.799 tons of world fig production, Turkey takes the first place with 305.689 tons of total fig production. It was followed by Egypt with 176.000 tons, Algeria with 128.620 tons, and Morocco with 126.554 tons. The amount of dried figs are 72.000 tons among 127.500 tons of world dry fig production [1]. Dry fig exportation of Turkey is 42.227 tons, and supply is more than 60% of dry fig demand of the world. Total fig exportation of Turkey was about 63.7% of the world total fig exportation [6]. The area, production, and yield per tree considering the main fig-growing provinces are given in **Table 2** [7].

Some of the nutritional values of dry fig are 11.6 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 1,8 g fiber, 6.4 mg vitamin A, 2.0 mg vitamin C, and 0.5 mg iron in 20 g of

Fig is divided into three groups for the fertilization biological characters: (a) male figs, (b) dried figs, and (c) fresh figs. The male figs take part in *F. carica*

a.Male figs contain both male (for pollen production) and short-styled female (gall) flowers, in which fig wasp (*Blastophaga psenes* L.) is grown up. Male fig

b.Dried figs contain only long-styled female flowers in the receptacle of the syconium. This group of fig cultivars need pollination for the fruit set (Smyrna type, both breba and main crops require caprification). Sarilop fig cultivar is the main

c.Common or fresh figs contain only long-styled female flowers; however, this group of figs does not require pollination; both breba (spring crop) and main (summer crop) crops are parthenocarpic. However, some cultivars in this group need pollination for summer or autumn crop. San Pedro (while breba crop does not require caprification), main crop requires caprification [8–11]).

Caprification is to hang a profichi syconium on the branches of female trees for pollination. Caprification is very important in Smyrna-type figs. Fig wasp

fruits cannot be eaten, only used for pollen and fig wasp production.

caprificus; the other two female figs take part in *F. carica* domestica.

**Table 2.**

*Some fig cultivars at the collection plantations at Erbeyli Fig Research Institute.*

#### *Fig Production and Germplasm in Turkey DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86997*

*Modern Fruit Industry*

**Table 1.**

3 Kuşadası

Bardakçı

*The production area and the yield in fig-growing provinces.*

**Provinces Area (da) Production (ton) Yield per tree (kg)** Aydın 365.366 182.775 30 İzmir 80.778 43.741 29 Bursa 21.136 25.734 76 Mersin 3.756 7.202 62 Hatay 1.677 6.535 30 Antalya 1.377 4.319 36 Gaziantep 7.226 2.913 42

**No Name No Name No Name No Name** 1 Göklop 30 Ada 59 Yediveren 88 Darpak 2 Bardakçı 31 Datça 5 60 Kızıl yemiş 89 Kızıl mor

 Mor 1 33 Yediveren 62 Güzlük mor 91 Beyaz incir3 Kara Yaprak 34 Siyah 63 Haziran inciri 92 Siyah incir Akça 2 35 Susak 64 Kış hayrı 93 Şeker inciri2 Akça 3 36 Sarı yemiş 65 Halebi 94 Melli Bardak 37 Gelin yanağı 66 Azezi 95 Abbas Mor 4 38 Dereköy 67 Sarı incir 96 Mut Asıl bardak 39 Löp inciri 68 İstanbul inciri 97 Yeyişgüz Sarılop 40 Midilli 69 Ak incir 98 Beyazorak Morgüz 41 Mor incir 70 Kara sultani 99 Siyahorak Karabakunya 42 Bodrum inciri 71 Baldırcın 100 Divrek kara

 İzmir Bardacık 2 43 Armut sapı 72 Deniz inciri Bursa Siyahı 44 Mor armudi 73 Tabak inciri Sultan Selim 45 Kızıl mor 74 Turnaboyu Yediveren 46 Kırmızı incir 75 Dilaver Beyaz Seyhan 47 Kış inciri 76 Ham incir Şeker inciri 48 Yayladağ 77 Ak incir 1 Morgüz 49 Aşı inciri 78 Kara incir 2 Sarı çiçek 50 Osmaniyeli 79 İpek inciri Siyah kış 51 Lebi 80 Değirmen

 Esmer bal 52 Tarak inciri 81 Ağarsak Siyah lop 53 Fetike inciri 82 Sarı incir2 Datça 1 54 Lop inciri 83 Beyaz incir2 Şeker 55 Gök incir 84 Kara incir3 Mor bardakçı 56 Frenk inciri 85 Kabak inciri Beyaz incir 57 Kilis inciri 86 Kilis inciri1 Gökçe 58 Beyaz yemiş 87 Sarı kilis

*Some fig cultivars at the collection plantations at Erbeyli Fig Research Institute.*

32 Siyah incir 61 Gök incir 90 Ekşi incir

inciri

**106**

**Table 2.**

Fig is a sacred fruit from the very historical times in three of the religions. Fig has high nutritional and medicinal value with the phenolic compounds, antioxidant content, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, etc.

In Turkey, fig culture is seen in almost every part of the country except the very continental climatic areas of the Middle and East Anatolia. Southeast Anatolia is very rich with fig germplasm. High extension of *Ficus carica* in Anatolia, from BC, caused the occurrence of wild genotype *F. carica* erinosyce and two other cultural forms, *F. carica* caprificus (male fig) and *F. carica* domestica (female fig). There are some other *Ficus* species and forms in Anatolia such as *F. palmata* Schweinf; F. c. var. rupestris, Hauska; *F. carica* var. kurdica, Kotschy; *F. carica*. Var. domestica, Tschirch; *F. carica* var. riparium, Hauskn; and *F. carica* var. Johannis, Boiss [5].

Almost all the coastal lines of the country such as Aegean, Mediterranean, Marmara, and Black Sea regions are the main areas for fig production. However, the best dry fig is grown at the Big Meander Valley and Small Meander Valley of the Aegean Region with a wonderful quality. In this area there is an institute (Erbeyli Fig Research Institute) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry mainly carrying on *Ficus* research at the orchards with 285 fig cultivars and genotypes (**Table 2**).

According to the statistical data, among 1.152.799 tons of world fig production, Turkey takes the first place with 305.689 tons of total fig production. It was followed by Egypt with 176.000 tons, Algeria with 128.620 tons, and Morocco with 126.554 tons. The amount of dried figs are 72.000 tons among 127.500 tons of world dry fig production [1]. Dry fig exportation of Turkey is 42.227 tons, and supply is more than 60% of dry fig demand of the world. Total fig exportation of Turkey was about 63.7% of the world total fig exportation [6]. The area, production, and yield per tree considering the main fig-growing provinces are given in **Table 2** [7].

Some of the nutritional values of dry fig are 11.6 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 1,8 g fiber, 6.4 mg vitamin A, 2.0 mg vitamin C, and 0.5 mg iron in 20 g of dry fig fruit.
