fig mosaic virus

Hey Tree People! I would like your input on this situation. A bunch of us on Dave's and also Garden Web have ordered fig cuttings from the National Clonal Germplasm Repository at U.C. Davis. Do you think these cuttings should be propagated or not? This is the verification of a rumor about the virus that I got from Howard Garrison at the Repository.

Greetings Gloria !

Our collection is infected with Fig Mosaic Virus . To my knowledge only the
country of Yemen claims to have virus free figs . However , they also will
not allow their fig's to be tested for (FMV) . The virus is spread by fig
aphids . There is a process called tissue culture that can produce a virus
free fig tree . Unfortunately the Fig's must be grown under greenhouse
conditions . As soon as the trees are planted in outdoor orchards the trees
are vulnerable to the spread of the virus . The virus is most obvious in
the Spring during cooler temperatures , as soon as the Summer heat arrives
the symptoms subside . A small number of figs are severely stunted by the
virus . To my knowledge the commercial crop yields are not severely
effected . It is something we just have to live with at this stage . We are
working on a solution for this virus , but I'm not aware of a sure workable
solution at this time . Your climate my be your biggest limiting factor .
The cooler the climate the more effect the virus may have . I hope this
will help your decision .

Respectfully

Howard Garrison

Howard,
FMV is pretty widespread, and at least Davis is letting you know, up front, that their figs are infected.
Like they said, only Yemen 'claims' to be FMV-free, and if they're refusing to test for it - are they really?
I can SAY I'm the Queen of England, but it doesn't make it so...

Your climate in Greensboro would still be considered pretty warm by most folks' estimation; their response sounds like a canned reply - it might be that climate(cool spring) is an issue for me up here in z6 or for some of my fig buddies up in MI, but perhaps not a major problem at all in AL.
If they're varieties you want to grow, I'd sure go ahead and root 'em and give 'em a try. If they don't perform, trash 'em.
How do you know if the cuttings you may have gotten from other fig enthusiasts(I'm one!) aren't infected?
I sure don't. Heck, all of mine may be; but the figs still taste good to me! At least you can grow yours in the ground without 'em killing back to ground level every winter!

Are there other hosts or carriers of this virus?

But I can't! What would you recommend for us greenhouse growers in 5b/6a?

I'm beginning to wonder if this is like citrus leafminer...you just have to put up with it...

stressbaby-
Do I know you? KJ?

Yeah, I may be wrong, but I think you just have to live with it.
I tried figs in the ground for years, but never got but ONE fig; so, I rooted cuttings of everything that was still surviving and 'moved' them all to pots, as well as any new varieties I obtained. Now, I just stick 'em under the house around 1 Dec, water lightly once a month, and pull 'em back out in the spring.
Heck, if you've got a greenhouse, I'd expect you to have less problems with it than me, since your greenhouse temps are bound to be warmer than my ambient temps with the pots just sitting up against the south wall of the sunroom.

I don't know, Lucky. I'm not KJ, though.

Lucky, ya got any tips for rooting fig cuttings? I have a very old one that has lots of memories for me, but I think it may be getting to the end of it's day. Worst of all, it's in my front yard. If I could get a cutting to root, I wouldn't mind growing it in one of those half barrels on wheels. Call me strange, but I absolutely love the smell of fig leaves.

E-guy,
They're easy.
Here's Ray Givan's short overview, from his really nice Figs info page at the NAFEX Fig Interest Group page:

"Propagating Figs

Figs are easy to propagate as they root very easily. There are several ways to propagate them. The most common method is to root leafless cuttings taken in late winter or early spring. Here's how to do it:

1. Take cuttings which are 3 to 6 inches long and pencil to finger thick. The best cuttings will have some of last year's wood on them.
2. If the weather is still unsettled and likely to frost, store the cuttings in a sealed ziplock in the produce bin in your refrigerator. If the weather is warm and likely to stay warm, pot your cuttings in sand or a good-quality potting mix.
3. Using 4" deep plastic pots, pack a half sheet of newspaper tightly into the bottom of the pot. Put a little mix in the bottom, stand 1 to 4 cuttings upright in each pot and fill the pot with the mix.
4. Water the pots thoroughly and stand them in a very bright, BUT NOT SUNNY place. It should be warm--70+° F. If you can't keep air temperature above 70°, provide bottom heat to bring the soil up to 70° F. Cover the pot with an empty 2 or 3 liter softdrink bottle with the bottom cut out. [Leave the lid on.]
5. Don't water the cuttings again until they are very dry. Test for dryness occasionally by lifting the pot. If the pot is very light, water it by setting it in a pan of water and letting it soak. When you see vigorous growth, it is time to harden off the new plants. Remove the bottle cap and see how they do. If okay, remove the bottle after a few days. Keep an eye on them and reinstall the bottle if the plants wilt.
6. After a few days, it will be time to pot up the new plants. Don't do this just because you see leaves growing. Sometimes there will be 4 or 5 leaves and few if any roots. Wait until you see vigorous growth. Apply fertilizer."

I had a buddy from MI send me some fig cuttings back in late September - I just stuck 'em in pots of soilless mix, - didn't even bother with rooting hormone - and they're sitting here in my office window, with 4-6 inches of new growth on them.

If you've got more interest in figs, check out the NAFEX page - http://www.nafex.org/figs.htm
And, for even MORE fig info, check out Ray's Figs page - http://home.planters.net/~thegivans/

Good resources.

Incidentally, Lucky, I am (a) K.J.

Stress
I wasn't paying close attention. I was thinking of KathyJo, who's up in Fayette.
I used to live in Rocheport while I was doing a path residency at the Vet Med Diagnostic Lab at the MU-CVM in Columbia, so I routinely interacted with vets and clients throughout the mid-MO area, including a number of 'em in the Fulton area.

Fayette, Fulton, Fig - they all begin with an 'F'.

Lucky, I've corresponded with KJ, too!

Great links, BTW, thanks.