FIGGEN - Valorising the diversity of the fig tree, an ancient fruit crop for sustainable Mediterranean agriculture

Climate change is dramatically impacting the Mediterranean region and solutions are needed to adapt agricultural farming systems practices to rising temperatures, drought and soil salinity. The adoption of mixed cropping systems as agroforestry can counteract loss of agro-biodiversity and the reduction of soil fertility. The fig tree (Ficus carica L.) has a great potential for expansion thanks to valuable nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics, combined with the ability to adapt to dry, calcareous and saline environments, making this species extremely interesting for sustainable commercial production in the Mediterranean region, also in relation to climate change. Despite its importance, this species has undergone a low level of genetic improvement. In fact, most of the production still relies on old accessions, grown locally, result of empirical selection made by farmers. In addition, it is currently highly threatened by genetic erosion due to various biotic and abiotic stresses including intensive urbanization, monovarietal cultures, migration from rural to urban areas and pests and diseases. More than 80% of the fig cultivation depends on rain availability and, consequently, the sustainability of this crop in a context of climate change could be jeopardized. Cultivar conservation and valorisation can be carried out only with the help of local farmers and stakeholders that will be involved in the project.

a) exploring, valorising and evaluating genetic variability of fig genotypes on available Spanish, Tunisian and Turkish fig collections using a genotyping by sequencing approach; b) involve stakeholders, through periodic meetings, to ientify the problems linked to the fig production chain and the opportunities offered by the socio-economic context in which the agricultural systems of the Mediterranean basin countries are inserted; c) phenotyping fig genotypes to identify plants with traits wanted by stakeholders and most suitable to be cultivated in drought/salt conditions; d) select genotypes best adapted to environmental conditions coming from climate changes to be introduced within traditional agricultural systems to obtain mixing cropping systems as agroforestry; e) identifying genomic loci linked to yield and drought/salt adaptation performing Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS). These loci will be used for marker assisted selection and future breeding programs to develop new cultivars better adapted to climate change.

FIGGEN impacts on valorisation and conservation of biodiversity analysing 300 genotypes of fig germplasm including neglected or under-utilized cultivars from countries that are the main producers of figs in the Mediterranean region. The introduction in agricultural systems of new fig cultivars better adapted to drought/salt conditions will help fig sustainable production of the future. This will contribute to implement biodiversity-based agriculture, more resilient to climate uncertainties, and more sustainable, producing beneficial effects in terms of conservation of natural resources including above and below ground biodiversity, soil and water conservation, poor soil valorisation and, consequently, better ecosystem services. FIGGEN results will have a positive impact both on well-being and income of farmers, on agro-ecosystem and fig production allowing to invert the decreasing trend of fig production in Mediterranean area recorded in the last years. Concerning scientific impact, the identification of genes or molecular markers linked to yield and drought/salt condition adaptation developed through GWAS will contribute to the genetic improvement of this species developing knowledge on genetics and physiology of plant under abiotic stresses and new varieties better adapted to a changing climate.