It's a bit of a "technical" read, but at least for the variety of female fig used in this particular Turkish study ("Bursa Siyahı", a Smyrna type fig), there seems to be a rather impressive effect on the fruit depending on the pollen source... My guess is that this is not a phenomenon that is restricted to this specific variety or even Smyrna figs in general...
www.figaholics.com
I never would have guessed pollen source would affect ostiole size. Brix, color and size to some degree I kind of assumed. Guess it goes back to the question is pollen that is good for fig A also good for fig B or does it change. Also I’m just at the point where I just want to try a caprified fig, so I’m not too picky at this point.
Also is that another name for black bursa?
I can totally see your point; one has to set priorities, right?I never would have guessed pollen source would affect ostiole size. Brix, color and size to some degree I kind of assumed. Guess it goes back to the question is pollen that is good for fig A also good for fig B or does it change. Also I’m just at the point where I just want to try a caprified fig, so I’m not too picky at this point.
yep...
I mean maybe not worth writing a paper over, but it would give an idea for sure. Sounds like we need our caprifig collectors to do some heavy lifting lol.I can totally see your point; one has to set priorities, right?
But imagine a relatively (...) simple experiment where you would be able to use calibrated "injection fluid" (in terms of how many pollen/ml) of a few different, ripe (...) caprifigs, and then hand-pollinate 10 (or 25) figs on the same tree with any of these different pollen mixtures. I can imagine getting some sort of useful, female fig variety-specific data out of that... Maybe not "statistically relevant", but still indicative.
With a simple counting chamber (re-usable and starting at $25: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3570850047...gjQcRqy5Lhn0cQ8xHNHLjU3WyG1wYYCuluwC8k_X05bCA ) and a low magnification microscope it shouldn't be to much of a hassle to calibrate your injection fluids...
Ooh now that’s interesting…. I have a tree that looks a lot like a Black Bursa from leaves and it dropped all 24 figs it set this year. Not saying that’s what it is for sure, but made my ears perk up alittle.
I've been reading up a bit on Black Bursa, and it seems that there has been some "confusion" about it in the recent past: I can be wrong (and I often am!), but to me it now seems that at least in Thailand people grow a "true" Black Bursa, "Bursa Siyahi" and a look-alike, "Bursa Siyahi (Italy)". But it gets a bit more complicated: Some growers there refer to the Smyrna version as "Bursa Siyah" and to the common type as "Bursa Siyahi" (with an "i").
Well honestly I’ll never know most likely. It was sold to me as a Black Madeira kk. It set 24 figs and slowly dropped them all over the season and varying conditions. The leaves and growth didn’t seem like what I’ve heard about BM so I started looking for similar looking trees. Someone helped me and we matched all three leaf patterns of my tree to their black bursa. Like I say not for sure, but it is the best lead I have for it atm. Plan to watch it over the next couple years and try pollinating to see if that changes anything as soon as I can.
Good thing is. I don’t think the Thai version is in the states yet. The real version is quite good. I wonder how the fake version compares?
"Pollen grain size"
Oh oh... The scientist in me is waking up again! 
I am thinking of getting one that takes photo's and video."Pollen grain size"
As in: the ability of the pollen to penetrate deeper into the synconium and reach more flowers? That's a good point!
It would be nice to create some sort of inventory about pollen sizes and appearances for the various caprifigs. All you'd need would be a microscope that allows you to take photos. Well... that and a collection of well-curated caprifigs. I wonder if there's anyone out there that would qualify...
