There is ongoing research in Commercial fig growing regions of the world on Fig Mosaic Disease (FMD) caused by Fig Mosaic Virus (FMV), the causes, control and prevention. What is known is that the Viral symptoms are caused by multiple viruses (a @@@@tail) which can infect the fig trees individually or as a group. There are two (2) known vectors of the viruses, Aceria ficus Cotte fig mites that have evolved to feed on Ficus Carica (fig trees) and can infect with as little as one feeding and by Fig Growers propagating infected cuttings and transporting the main vector (fig mites) to different temperate regions
Fig Mites are related to spiders and ticks. They do not cut, tear, rip or chew plant material, they insert their "mouth parts" through the plant cell membranes and suck out the plant fluids, in the process their "saliva" inoculates the plant cells with Mosaic Viruses but only if they had been feeding on other infected plants. They can survive in unopened dormant buds and figs, but can only survive in temperate zones and do not "over winter" in colder zones. Fig Growers graft, propagate and circulate infected plant material. They also imported fig cultivars, Capri figs and Fig wasps from the Mediterranean to improve the commercial fig industry. Due to the fact that Fig Mites can survive in figs and closed buds they have been relocated with the wasps and plant material to their new homes in these temperate zones. This is not an indictment, just a statement of known documented facts.
I've observed that if visibly healthier limbs are propagated the young trees start out looking healthier, than when obviously diseased limbs (cuttings) are used. Another observation is that when a visibly infected tree is cut back to the soil line the new shoot that develops from the roots and buried trunk will often be visibly healthier that the original growth. IMO, many of the FMD symptoms that are attributed to FMV are actually nutrient deficiencies and can be avoided with application of balanced fertilizers, macro and micro nutrients and a better adjusted pH range. I've been able to produce FMD mottled and deformed leaves in visibly healthy trees by simply changing the pH and reducing the available nutrients with a water soluble fertilizer. When the pH was restored and the nutrients increased, the leaves and growth returned to normal. The control trees that were furnished with balanced nutrients and a good pH range were over 4 feet tall and were always visibly healthy while the tests were less than 18" tall and starting to put on healthier growth and increased nodal spacing only after the pH and nutrient adjustment.
There are plants and cultivars with severe cases of infection(s), deformed leaves and severe mottling, but with proper care most infected cultivars may still be productive. If the plants are provided with proper nutrition, water, soil (growing medium) and sun, they will grow to their optimum genetic capability even with severe FMV infection(s).







FMV:
http://ucanr.edu/repositoryfiles/ca1101p12-66858.pdf
http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/agric...-6-0807-20.pdf
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest...saic_virus.htm
Soil Nutrients and deficiency
http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/e...ubs/az1106.pdf
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agricul...U-1731-F-1.pdf
http://www.growrealfood.com/gardenin...-deficiencies/
https://www.unce.unr.edu/publication...002/fs0265.pdf
Please comment with any additional info and your prevention methods
All the documented evidence since 1955 and current DNA testing concludes that...
Fig Mites can and do transmit FMV from infected to uninfected trees.
Fig Mites feeding causes russetting, leaf spots and localized damage.
FMV is not transmitted through mite eggs.
Fig mosaic virus infects the fig trees.
Cloning and grafting infected plant material will produce infected trees.
Fig leaf mosaic, leaf and fig necrotic spot are often symptoms of FMV infection(s).
Fig Mites can and do transmit FMV from infected to uninfected trees.
Fig Mites feeding causes russetting, leaf spots and localized damage.
FMV is not transmitted through mite eggs.
Fig mosaic virus infects the fig trees.
Cloning and grafting infected plant material will produce infected trees.
Fig leaf mosaic, leaf and fig necrotic spot are often symptoms of FMV infection(s).
I've observed that if visibly healthier limbs are propagated the young trees start out looking healthier, than when obviously diseased limbs (cuttings) are used. Another observation is that when a visibly infected tree is cut back to the soil line the new shoot that develops from the roots and buried trunk will often be visibly healthier that the original growth. IMO, many of the FMD symptoms that are attributed to FMV are actually nutrient deficiencies and can be avoided with application of balanced fertilizers, macro and micro nutrients and a better adjusted pH range. I've been able to produce FMD mottled and deformed leaves in visibly healthy trees by simply changing the pH and reducing the available nutrients with a water soluble fertilizer. When the pH was restored and the nutrients increased, the leaves and growth returned to normal. The control trees that were furnished with balanced nutrients and a good pH range were over 4 feet tall and were always visibly healthy while the tests were less than 18" tall and starting to put on healthier growth and increased nodal spacing only after the pH and nutrient adjustment.
There are plants and cultivars with severe cases of infection(s), deformed leaves and severe mottling, but with proper care most infected cultivars may still be productive. If the plants are provided with proper nutrition, water, soil (growing medium) and sun, they will grow to their optimum genetic capability even with severe FMV infection(s).
FMV:
http://ucanr.edu/repositoryfiles/ca1101p12-66858.pdf
http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/agric...-6-0807-20.pdf
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest...saic_virus.htm
Soil Nutrients and deficiency
http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/e...ubs/az1106.pdf
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agricul...U-1731-F-1.pdf
http://www.growrealfood.com/gardenin...-deficiencies/
https://www.unce.unr.edu/publication...002/fs0265.pdf
Please comment with any additional info and your prevention methods
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