Abstract
Four-year-old trees of fig (Ficus carica L. 'Masui Dauphine'), grown hydroponically in a greenhouse kept over 15°C, were supplied with a half Enshi solution (EC 1.5 dS·m-1). For the first cropping, the trees were headed back on January 10. The yield of fruits harvested from the primary shoots between June 7 and September 30 was about 1.5 kg or 15.0 fruits per the primary shoot ; the average fruit weighted 104 g and had a Brix of 14. For the second cropping, all shoots were pinched at their 30th nodes on June 14 ; half were headed back again to their 3rd nodes on July 26. The yield from the secondary shoots harvested from November 24 to February 14 of was 1.3 kg or 15.8 fruits per shoot, the average fruit weighted 80g and had a Brix of 16. The percentage of fruit set at the 12-20th nodes on the secondary shoots of the pinched tree was smaller than that on other nodes. However, fruits on the secondary shoots of the headed trees, which were harvested from December 24 to February 14, weighted 1.0 kg or 12.5 fruits per shoot ; the average fruit weighted 72 g and had a Brix of 16. Thus, we conclude that fig tree grown hydroponically could be forced to yield double crops of high quality fruit.
