Elimination of fig mosaic from fig shoot-tip cultures by thermotherapy

Abstract

Apical buds (0.5–0.7 cm) of fig tree (Ficus carica L.) of cvs. "Urdana", "Napolitana" "Tiberio" and "Villalba" with evident mosaic symptoms were cultured in MP solid medium (Pontikis and Melas, 1986) and then subjected to an alternating, high temperature regime with 16 h light (5.000 lux) at 37°C followed by 8 h dark at 34°C. These in vitro techniques resulted in fig plants with no external symptoms of fig-mosaic disease after a year of pot cultivation in the greenhouse. Since F. carica is tolerant to high temperature treatments, the in vitro thermotherapy with alternating temperature is an appropriate method to eliminate the fig mosaic. This method allows production of a large number of treated shoot tips with high survival and regeneration rates. Indexing showed an absence of fig mosaic disease in all the plants obtained by this treatment.