Description
Book SynopsisThe common fig Ficus carica L. is an ancient fruit native to the Mediterranean. Dried figs have been successfully produced and processed in arid regions with little sophisticated infrastructure for centuries. Figs are rich in fibre, trace minerals, polyphenols and vitamins, with higher nutrient levels than most fruits. Advances in agricultural production and postharvest technologies have not only improved the efficiency of dried fig production but have facilitated the development of high value fresh fig industries both for export and domestic markets. The result is high quality fresh figs that are marketed internationally throughout the year. This book provides a comprehensive summary of fig growing, processing and marketing from a scientific and horticultural perspective. It is comprised of 19 chapters that include in-depth discussions of: History of fig cultivation; Physiology; Breeding and cultivars; Propagation; Site selection and orchard establishment; Nutrition and irrigation management; Pollination management; Integrated pest management; Greenhouse production; Harvesting, dried and fresh fig processing; The medicinal uses of figs; and World fig markets. The Fig: Botany, Production and Uses is a comprehensive applied resource for academic researchers, as well as producers, processors, and marketers of dried and fresh figs.
Table of Contents1: History, Archaeology and Culture 2: Taxonomy, Botany and Physiology 3: Production and Growing Regions 4: Biodiversity, Germplasm Resources and Breeding Methods 5: Fig World Cultivars 6: Propagation Techniques and Nursery Management 7: Environmental Requirements and Site Selection 8: Orchard Establishment Tree Management 9: Fig Wasps and Pollination 10: Soil and Nutritional Requirements 11: Irrigation and Water Requirements 12: Fungal, Bacterial, and Nematodes Problems in Figs 13: Fig Viruses, Viroids and Phytoplasmas 14: Arthropod Pests of Fig and Their Management 15: Fruit Maturity, Harvest Methods and Technologies 16: Postharvest Physiology and Physiological Disorders of Fresh Fig Fruits 17: Processing and Industrialization 18: Fig and Health 19: World Fig Market
