Comparison of Three Methods for Determining Fig Endosepsis Caused by Fusarium moniliforme and Other Molds in Caprifigs and Calimyrna Figs. THEMIS J. MICHA1LIDES, Associate Plant Pathologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Kearney Agricultural Center, 9240 S. Riverbend Ave., Parlier 93648. DAVID P. MORGAN, Staff Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Kearney Agricultural Center, 9240 S. Riverbend Ave., Parlier 93648; and RON KLAMM, Director, California Fig Institute, 3425 N. First St., Fresno 93726. Plant Dis. 78:44-50. Accepted for publication 14 September 1993. Copyright 1994 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-78-0044.

Traditionally, the California Fig Institute (CFI), as a service to the California fig industry, has checked levels of fig endosepsis caused by Fusarium moniliforme and other molds in inedible caprifig profichi (spring crop of fig pollinator). This was done by scooping out the internal inflorescences plus parts of the inner scales along the ostiolar canal of figs, placing the mixture in a petri dish, then pouring and mixing melted potato-dextrose agar (PDA) with the fruit tissues. This study reports a new technique and compares it with both the conventional scoop-out and the five-scoop techniques used previously. In all tests, the agar-drop and the scoop-out techniques were more efficient than the five-scoop method. In addition, the agar-drop technique was faster than the other two methods and required only 7.5 8 ml of PDA for processing 20 figs, in contrast to the 300 ml required for both the scoop-out and the five-scoop techniques. Based on efficiency, time required, and savings in materials used, the agar-drop technique is the most economical and reliable method and could be used to advantage commercially. In addition, this method is so much simpler that novices can perform it. Using a knife contaminated by cutting a caprifig infected by F. moniliforme increased the incidence of fig endosepsis in the caprifigs cut subsequently, a fact which helps explain why the scoop-out method usually revealed higher levels of fig endosepsis in certain experiments.

Keyword(s): Allernaria alternata. Cladosporium spp., eye-end rot, Ficus carica, internal rot, pink rot, soft rot, syconium