Fig virus-free production and survival rate improvement using meristem tip culture techinique associated with the encapsulation technology

Three Mediterranean F. carica genotypes, i.e. cultivars Palazzo, Bifera nera and Catalanisca, initially infected by Fig leaf mottle-associated virus 1 (FLMaV-1), Fig leaf mottle-associated virus 2 (FLMaV-2), Fig mild mottling-associated virus (FMMaV), Fig mosaic virus (FMV), Fig latent virus 1 (FLV-1), Fig Badnavirus 1 (FBV-1) and Fig fleck-associated virus (FFkaV), were subjected to the sanitation technique via Meristem Tip (0.3-0.5 mm in size) Culture (MTC), also associated with the encapsulation technique (MTC-SS), in order to produce virus-free plant material. Encapsulation was tested to overcome the very low survival and regeneration rates, due to the small propagule size. Encouraging results were obtained in term of regeneration rate, where Bifera nera showed the best one, followed by Palazzo and Catalanisca. The sanitary status of all genotypes was assayed by RT-PCR using viruses-specific primers. FLMaV-1 was completely eradicated from the regenerated plantlets. FMMaV and FFkaV were highly and equally eliminated, followed by FLV-1 and FMV. The only DNA virus (FBV-1) resisted to this sanitation attempt.