Optimising Kiwifruit Vine Performance for High Productivity and Superior Fruit Taste
2011
Patterson, K.J. | Currie, M.B.
Kiwifruit production systems in New Zealand are driven by the need to achieve both high productivity (yield of Class 1 fruit per canopy hectare) and superior fruit taste for consumers. Fruit dry matter content at harvest (DMC) is used as a proxy for potential taste of ripe fruit, and growers receive incentives to produce high DMC fruit. High DMC fruit would be considered c. 17% for 'Hayward' and c. 18.5% for 'Hort16A', with starch accounting for most of the DMC at commercial harvest. Vine management systems need to optimise both fruit number and fruit size per unit area of canopy as well as maximising the partitioning of carbohydrate to the fruit, to achieve this high starch content. In New Zealand, a number of plant management techniques have been introduced to manage fresh and dry matter accumulation in fruit over the last 10 years. This has occurred by an active process of intensive research, development and technology transfer extension. Techniques successfully introduced include girdling, management of fruit biostimulants, gel pruning, cane stringing and thinning. By integrating these techniques with existing orchard management procedures and ongoing fine tuning of on-orchard systems, top performing growers can consistently deliver both high productivity and high taste potential. In this paper, we outline several of these management techniques.
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