Greeting from the Italian mountains rainforest

[Gabriel4figs]

Hello everyone,

I'm Gabriele from Northern Italy, Bergamasque Prealps, 750 meters above sea level.
I have loved figs since my childhood. I was used to collecting fig leaves while I was on vacation in Tuscany with my parents,
and storing them in a book so I could smell the fig aroma during the year.

I started my Fig Project on my Farm at the beginning of 2022. The 2023 season has been catastrophic due to the arrival of BFF, the Black Fig Fly.
Since then, everything changed. I thought it was the END. 90-99% of fruit drop on most varieties

"What the caterpillar calls the end, the master calls a butterfly." ~ Richard Bach

I started looking at figs in a different way; instead of just collecting them, I started reading more scientific papers and old manuals.
2023 was a Revelation! I found the first Blastophaga Colony in Bergamo, I couldn't believe it! Every Fig expert always told me that they
are present only in southern Italy or coastal areas, but no!

After a day walking around looking for caprifigs in the warmest part of Bergamo hillside, I had the feeling there could be some, I went back home exhausted and depressed. It was the sunset. warm after a cool spring day. the sun heats the surroundings. I stop to rest near a gas station. What? I was just near a huge fig tree full of brebas! mmm more brebas than leaves. "It's strange," I thought. I collected some figs, some were smaller and hard, and around the tree there was a strange cloud of insects. Wasn't I sure it was a caprifig in the cooler lowland? I went Home and cut the fruits to check, and there it was a beautiful Blastophaga crawling around!!! I was extremely happy and grateful!

Later in the year I noticed that in areas with caprifigs and fig wasps, the damage of BFF was little. No one there has ever heard of the fly. while 40 kms away
most of the fig trees drop the whole crop, infested with worms.
I realised pollinated figs are somewhat resistant to BFF, or there was a correlation with caprifigs/figs environment.
I started to grow different caprifigs, pollinate my figs, and yes, they didn't drop any more if pollinated.
They ripened earlier and taste 100 times better even here, where rain and cold fall weather make them ripen slowly and ferment.

This is my Current Goal, more than collecting (and I keep collecting ), experimenting with pollination/caprification as a control strategy for Black Fig Fly.
also for commercial orchards.

A huge thank to Rob aka FIGHUNTER DOWNUNDER, for inspiring me to look deeper into the beautiful fig wasp and caprifigs world, for all the work
on social media to spread scientific information and create this beautiful Forum for everyone.

I hope I will find some time to post regularly and enjoy some time with all of you Blasto Nerds!
Thanks for reading my condensed Fig journey

[Rob]

Hello Gabriel, and thank you for telling us all a little about yourself here, it's a very good read.
With any help I have ever been, you are most welcome, and i am hoping that this may be a very informative discussion area for anyone interested in being here, and learning as much as is possible about our beautiful figs. We may never know it all, that is certain, but we will never stop trying to learn more....and when we get that far....we will find that there is still much more t know.
BTW, that picture above is just perfect.