Performance of Fig (Ficus carica L.) Under Different Planting Densities

Abstract

A field trial conducted from 2011 to 2015 to study the growth, physiology, fruit yield and quality of fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars Deanna and Poona under tree densities of 1000, 800, 666, 571 and 500 plants per hectare indicated that high density planting with 1000 or 800 plants per hectare was superior to other planting densities for maintaining tree vigour and fruit yield under continuous cropping during the initial orchard years. With decrease in tree densities, growth characters like tree height, shoot length, canopy spread, leaf number and trunk circumference declined gradually which was more pronounced under 500 plants per hectare. The gas exchange parameters (photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration) also declined with tree densities. The per cent PAR interception by the canopy that ranged from 79.37 to 86.63% did not differ significantly among the treatments. There was no difference in fruit quality attributes like TSS and acidity among the trees grown at the different planting densities. High density planting of fig varieties Poona and Deanna at 1000 plants per hectare with initial training of trees to open centre frame work and annual pruning of previous season’s shoots to the basal six nodes during September is found promising for considerable enhancement in fruit productivity during the initial six orchard years by 2.5 and 2.0 times respectively under the mild tropical, semi-arid conditions.