Agronomic behaviour and quality of six fig cultivars for fresh consumption

The purpose of this work was to study the agronomic behaviour and quality of six fig cultivars (the breba and main crops) for fresh consumption grown in Extremadura, an area considered to have a Mediterranean climate. The fig cultivars studied were 'Cuello Dama Blanco', 'Brown Turkey', 'Colar Elche', 'San Antonio', 'Banane' and 'Blanca Bétera', all belonging to the national germplasm bank of fig trees located in Guadajira, Extremadura. Several pomological and agronomic characteristics of these cultivars were determined in four consecutive years (2009-2013). Total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, maturation index (MI) and firmness were also evaluated. Based on these parameters, 'Banane' and 'Brown Turkey' presented the highest yield of the breba and main crops and also produced the largest fruit in terms of fruit weight and width. 'Cuello Dama Blanco' was characterised by presenting the highest TSS and MI levels both the breba and main crops, followed by 'San Antonio'. In general, all these cultivars have great potential for the fresh fig industry and also have excellent quality attributes that are appreciated by consumers.