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The common fig is a popular backyard fruit tree and grown in small orchards throughout the coastal regions of the southeastern U.S. Two commonly grown cultivars in coastal areas have distinct fruiting patterns which would be of interest to processors and marketers of summertime fruit. A study was conducted over a 5-year period to determine the fruiting characteristics of `Celeste' and `LSU Purple' figs. The 9-year-old orchard used for the study is located in St. Gabriel, LA. Annual results over a 5-year period indicated a longer and more productive fruit-bearing season for `LSU Purple' than `Celeste'. The fruit-bearing cycle for `LSU Purple' is about 4 weeks longer than is for `Celeste'. `Celeste' and `LSU Purple' exhibited different fruiting patterns over a 5-year period. `Celeste' consistently produced ripe fruit about one week before `LSU Purple' over the 5-year period. `Celeste' produced 85% of its total yield in a 2-week period with one main crop per year. However, `LSU Purple' produced two and sometimes three distinct crops each year. `LSU Purple' produced a greater total yield compared to `Celeste' with 6.45 kg/tree compared to 4.57 kg for `Celeste' during the 5-year evaluation. Additionally, `LSU Purple' retained foliage longer each year than `Celeste'; a characteristic perhaps due to a higher level of resistance to fig leaf rust. In areas where `LSU Purple' is adapted, this selection of fig may offer a more productive alternative to traditional cultivars planted.
National demand for authentic Southern cuisine has contributed to the increased utilization of mayhaw fruit. Certain fruit characteristics are essential for the processing of mayhaw. Most of the mayhaw fruit used in processing comes from wild populations. Efforts are being made to identify superior clones from native populations. This study was undertaken to determine the chances of finding a superior clone with desirable processing attributes in a completely random population of mayhaw seedlings. Trees were removed from a 36 year-old mayhaw seedling orchard and relocated to a new orchard. The original orchard contained over 1500 trees. Five years after establishment in the new orchard, fruit were harvested from 75 of the trees and evaluated for fruit weight, percent malic acid, percent soluble solids, and color. Of the 75 trees, 48 were within one standard deviation of the mean trunk diameter. Seven trees fell below 12.1 cm and only 4 trees were larger than 19 cm. The mean fruit weight was 2.1 g with a range from 1.77-2.4 g. Sixty-seven percent of the trees produced fruit having weights within one standard deviation of the mean. Percent malic acid of mayhaw juice averaged 1.35% among the 75 trees. Seventy-two percent of the trees produced fruit with percent malic acid within one standard deviation of the mean. Mean percent soluble solids of mayhaw juice were 6.1 with a range of 5.36% to 7.01%. Seventy-three percent of the trees produced fruit with soluble solids percentages within one standard deviation of the mean. The probability of finding individuals in this population that exceeded the mean of these parameters (percent malic acid,%SS, and fruit weight) is less than 10%.