Iran

[PasturedFigs]

Whatever your opinion on the "deal" it looks like Iran may be open to fig exploration in the foreseeable future.

Anyone excited about new Persian cultivars that may be unlocked by this development?

[Brian M]

I think we need to get our people out first. Then lets go hunt lol

[Whiterk]

Nothing safe about Iran

[rusty hooks]

without getting specific...you're entirely and absolutely correct

[Rewton]

I'm growing a couple varieties that a friend got from family members who live there. One is from the northern part of the country so is probably at least somewhat cold hardy. It has figs developing and I'll know soon whether they need the wasp. It seems like the ordinary people there are really friendly; more cultural exchange can only be a good thing in my opinion.

[AmericanFigLover]

I still wouldn't go there for some time.

[rusty hooks]

That area has been the focus of attention for a very, very long time....I'm not sure why....but I wouldn't venture there during my lifetime for figs

[Bijan]

My uncle tells me that my grandfather's orchards are not alive anymore. I would have been very excited to grow some of his fig and pomegranate varieties.

It's a funny story (well maybe more scary)... about 12 years ago, I was talking to an Iranian coworker of mine. He had just come back from a trip to Iran and was discussing the political climate and how invasive he felt like the government was in the people's lives. Another coworker was walking buy and only caught part of the conversation. He asked if we were talking about President Bush. From the stories I have heard, it sounds like the people of Iran want to reform the country and are much more open to interactions with the rest of the world.

[mountainfigs]

Yes, of course the Iranian people like the US people also sometimes give low approval ratings to their Presidents. As I recall, when US President Bush's approval ratings were in the toilet among Americans, Iranian President Ahmadinejad's approval ratings were even lower among the people of Iran. I think too that both Ahmadinejad and Bush left office with the lowest approval ratings of any President in their respective countries. Recent polls have put both the Iranian President and the US President at almost the exact same point, 50 percent approval with their respective peoples. You can bet that plenty of Iranians would not feel any more comfortable walking around the US than a lot of people in the US would feel walking around Iran. I think the US wrestling team was the first to break the cultural freeze some years ago. No doubt, invitations help. A figvite could mean a lot.

[m5allen]

If I want to go on a figcation, I think I will start by visiting Louisiana for LSU field day. Iran would probably be at the bottom of the list.

[AscPete]

Iran may be the place to collect healthy fig cultivars...

There's been ongoing testing and research in Europe and Asia into the spread and infection of FMV. They've done DNA studies and have found that Iran has the least percentage of FMV infection @ ~18% compared to Italy which has over 60% and Turkey which is over 80% infection. The studies and research are referred to as "Sanitation" of Figs, due to the testing and selection of "Clean" cultivars for cloning new virus free mother trees, http://www.iresa.agrinet.tn/tjpp/tjpp18/1Mahfoudhi2.pdf

[GregMartin]

As much as I love the idea of fig hunting in the mountains of Iran, just doesn't seem like it will be a good idea. I'm hopeful that lifting of restrictions will make it possible to at least send money to Iranian residents for their help in sending seeds from certain infamous mountain fig gene pools. Does anyone know if the lifting of sanctions will allow for direct person to person money transfers?