Has any individual, university or nurseries done any tissue culture on figs? Has anyone of them been successful ? Please let me know since there is an ongoing discussion in Malaysia that tissue culture cannot be done on fig..

Norhayati

There's several topics on tissue culture plants being purchased and how they have done.  I bought a few myself.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/tissue-culture-trees-7205697?pid=1285403916#post1285403916

Here is a good start. 

It is done in USA. Malaysia should be able to do it as there are experts in TC pineapples and
orchids. Main issue in Malaysia is high rainfall and many people would be disappointed with
souring, splitting and bugs. I think the other challenge is the climate is favourable to rapid
plant's growth. Hence fig trees can get large in 2 years.

It's also done in India and there are published protocols online.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=tissue+culture+ficus+carica

Thanks for all the information. I will try to disburse this info to fig lovers in Malaysia. Some believe that it couldn't be done but I believe otherwise.

Norhayati

Norhayati, one thing with tissue culture is sometimes a line will revert to a juvenile and will then take up to a years before producing fruit (just like a seedling.  Please note that this is only "sometimes" as there has been some confusion on this statement relayed to me by a long-time fig breeder.

Thank you for the info Harvey

Norhayati

I bought one this fall, I plan to let it grow like a pole until I see some fruits before I top it.

but does anyone know between  a tissue culture or cutting  when its 1 foot or bigger i bought a green ischia from walmart idk if its tissue or not 

@Jailen.

It's possible, but not likely, that your Wal-Mart fig is a tissue culture. Most large nurseries grow fig trees by vegetative propagation (cuttings). As far as I know, there's no real way of knowing the difference by looking at the plant.

One major plus of plants that are propagated by tissue culture is that they are disease free. That is until they are exposed to other plants that have diseases anyway.

@ Norhayati. Responding to your original question. I have a friend who is a horticulturist here in KY. He's done tissue cultures on various plants but not on figs - yet. He feels certain that he can do it successfully. I intend to put it to him as a challenge ;) . I am also in the process of learning this technique for myself. Hopefully, I will have results to report by end of next growing season.

Bill, good luck to you and your friend. Hope both of you will be successful

Paul, yes we do have tc for banans, orchids, pineapples in Malaysia but fig is very new here. So far we do it on soft cuttings but not woody cuttings. Some fig friends here have access to the labs and they are experimenting on figs. I hope they will be successful.

Norhayati

thanks saxonfig

I bought a few tc trees and they took of on the second year. I have a small tc setup but never had luck with figs. I am thinking of giving a go at using terminal buds in a rooting tc mix