A study conducted in the testing grounds of CICYTEX assessed the quality of the production of early and late figs of ten different tree varieties, as well as the fruits' optimum ripening point regarding their nutritional, functional, and sensory characteristics for fresh consumption and marketing.
These results are part of the cum laudemdoctoral thesis of Cristina Pereira Jimenez at the University of Extremadura. The research was led by Margarita Lopez and Manuel Joaquin Serradilla, researchers at CICYTEX, and Alberto Martin, professor of the School of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Extremadura.
The fig is a fruit species closely linked to Extremadura. Its fruits are characterized by their good nutritional and functional properties, which vary depending on the variety and its ripeness. Dried fig production is very strong, but there's been a growing interest in fresh production in recent years, which has encouraged producers to establish new regular plantations in the region.
The study, "Agronomic performance and study of the optimum nutritional and functional maturation point of different fig trees varieties for fresh consumption", was developed over four years in trial fields of the Institute for Agricultural Research Finca La Orden-Valdesequera of the CICYTEX and it was funded by the National Institute of Agricultural Research and Food Technology (INIA) "RTA2010-00123-C02-01 Project". The study includes the most popular fig varieties produced in Extremadura, and other interesting varieties for consumption and fresh marketing that were selected from CICYTEX Germplasm Bank in Higuera.
Varieties for fresh consumption
According to the study, the San Antonio, Cuello Dama Negro, Colar Elche, Banane, Brown Turkey, and White Betera varieties had the best agronomic performance, as they produced early and late figs for fresh consumption that had a good fruit size and good physical and chemical qualities. As concluded in the thesis, these varieties have a great productive potential.
Regarding the optimum ripeness of the figs of the ten selected varieties, the study established three stages of maturity that were selected depending on the fruits' color and texture to test the figs' nutritional, phytochemical, and sensory characteristics. Early and late fig crops had a high content of fiber and minerals, such as potassium and sugars. All the nutritional and bioactive compounds analyzed increased as the fruits ripened more; they had the highest concentrations by stage 3.
Moreover, the varieties with a dark color and red pulp, such as Cuello Dama Negro and Colar Elche, had a high content of bioactive compounds and a high antioxidant activity, unlike the green varieties.
Another aspect analyzed was the sensory quality in which researchers found different profiles associated to the varieties, i.e. volatile compounds that contribute to the fruit's aroma. The best varieties valued that have the biggest consumer acceptance were: San Antonio, Tiberio, and Cuello de Dama Negro in black figs; and De Rey, Cuello de Dama Blanco, and San Antonio in green figs, as they had great organoleptic qualities.
Fig cultivation
Spain is the largest producer of figs in Europe with approximately 23,285 tons, i.e. 25% of Europe's production and 3% of the world production, followed by Albania, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Montenegro, France and Croatia.
Extremadura is the region that has the largest acreage, with nearly 5,100 hectares and an average production of 6,000 tons, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MAGRAMA).
Source: gobex.es