Fig tree (Ficus carica L.) is well adapted to agro-ecological conditions of Tunisia. Many cultivars are of Smyrna type and caprification is a common practice in all regions. However, this technique remains not well controlled. This study was carried out during two seasons 2008 and 2009 to better understand caprification efficiency on cultivars Zidi, Bidhi and Bither Abiadh varying the number of caprifigs and repetitions of caprification on each tree. Many parameters were recorded (fruit set, yield, fruit characteristics and shoot length for the following season). Results indicate that for Zidi two fruiting waves can be identified and that caprification at two dates scheduled on 10-14 days could be sufficient to have a satisfying yield and fruit quality (60 g per fruit, 19° Brix) without negative effect on shoot elongation. For the other cultivars, the effect of caprification was noted especially on the fruit set (70 % and 65 %, respectively, for Bidhi and Bither Abiadh) and the average fruit weight (50 g for Bither Abiadh and 52 g for Bidhi).
