On behalf of fig friends everywhere, is submitted the following questions to USDA / UC Davis and have included the their responses below, and some additional thoughts.
Text in red is directly from USDA / NCGR.
1) I remember reading a post on [a] forum that UC Davis grafts potentially healthy scion to FMV infected trees. Is that true and if so why?
and 2) My question would be similar -- since there are ways to clean up tissue in the lab, why haven't they established a FMV free collection. My guesses would be a lack of funds or interest, or perhaps they consider it benign.
USDA / NCGR - No. Wdon’t graft any figs at the NCGR and I don’t believe we ever have. This may have been a practice at UC Riverside many years ago. Mosiac is considered ubiquitous in figs around the world and is observed in many feral trees. Even seedlings show mosaic symptoms within a few years, which some attribute to mite vectoring. We have a project to start cleaning up accessions, hoping that early tree development may be improved, but expect that they will become symptomatic very quickly in the field. If funds were available, we would try to maintain a clean collection in tissue culture or other means.
My note - If USDA / NGCR were to successfully "clean" their collection, it would be of not value to me, or anyone else who has FMV in their existing trees and locality, and any non-infected trees would soon become re-infected.
3) What can we do as a community to ensure the continued existence and access for the masses to this institution?
and 4) Are they really interested in the feedback from backyard growers who procure cuttings from them? What do they want to know?
and 5) Think of us north people! UCD tends/tended to breed figs with mostly the 'commercial' market in mind. Produced mostly 'white' figs. What about the 'black' figs that are usually MORE eye appealing and tasting?
USDA NCGR - There was a fig breeding program for many years at UCRiverside. It was established to support the CA fig industry and focused on their need for a ‘Calimyrna’ –type which does not require caprification. Therefore, lots of yellow figs were selected. Doyle and Ferguson of UCD have a very small breeding effort, again focused on industry needs. Breeding programs are expensive and the needs of the funding group take priority!
Please remember why we are here. Currently, backyard gardeners are not official clients and we do not have funding to serve their interests. I think it is tantalizing to consider what might occur, if backyard orchards and gardens are considered a national food security asset by our government. By my calculations, there must be more than 400,000 acres of backyard fruit production in the US. Here is our standard blurb:
The missions of the National Clonal Germplasm Repository are to acquire, maintain, characterize, and distribute plant genetic diversity in the genera: Actinida, Diospyros, Ficus, Juglans, Morus, Olea, Pistacia, Prunus, Punica, and Vitis. The germplasm in the Davis genebank is maintained primarily for plant breeding and other research purposes. The genebank is not an alternative to commercial nursery sources, and unlike most nurseries, it cannot certify that its material is disease-free. Whenever possible, non-researchers are encouraged to obtain planting material from commercial sources, or seedsavers/heirloom plant sources, etc. which can be identified on the internet.
The genebank supplies propagation wood and not rooted plants. Many nut and fruit trees are propagated by grafting onto appropriate rootstocks. Other species can be propagated by directly rooting cuttings.
For those who need germplasm material for research or educational purposes, the genebank will send a limited amount of propagation wood free of charge. Since supplies of propagation wood are limited, requests from research scientists will be met first. All requests for dormant cuttings must be received by December 1.
6) Regarding UCD provided cuttings, (much thanks), but please specify VERY clearly IF any fig caprification is needed (CA went thought this - remember the Smyrna vs Calimyrna thing!).
USDA / NCGR - We have recently taken data on the need for caprification in a number of our accessions. There were some surprises! We process >4000 requests every year. If there are no questions about what is being requested, we assume the requester knows what they want.
My note - I will see about getting this onformation fcor distribution.
7) Expedite the fig DNA (confusion-name) analysis thing.
My Note - I had a chance to see the "family tree" when I visited UC Davis last week, and there are some interesting things which it reveals. They do not feel that it is ready for distribution, as of yet (Are you kidding me, of course, I asked), but it is coming.