Kiwi
Kiwi fruit
(Actinidia deliciosa) is among the very few recent introductions which
have surpassed in popularity due to its tremendous commercial potential in the
sub-Himalayan region. A native to central China, it is being
grown commercially in New Zealand, Italy, USA, China, Japan, Australia,
France, Chile and Spain. In India, kiwi was first planted in the Lal Bagh
Gardens at Bangalore as an ornamental tree. With extensive research and
development support its commercial cultivation has been extended to the
midhills of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim,
Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nilgiri hills.
Climate and Soil
Kiwi is a deciduous vine which can withstand wide
climatic conditions. For high yield and quality fruits, it requires 700–800
chilling hours below 7°C to break its rest period in the winter otherwise the
bud break may be delayed. It may be damaged by (i) autumn frost on the crop and
the non-dormant plant from October-end to November-end, (ii) frost at the end
of winter before and during the budburst, and (iii) spring frost after
budburst. In summer, high temperature (>35°C) accompanied by high insulation
and low humidity may cause scorching of leaves. Sun scald and heat stress are
the main problems in its cultivation in lower areas.
In India, kiwi can successfully be grown at
800–1,500m above mean sea-level. A rainfall of about 150cm/year is sufficient.
It should be well-distributed throughout the growing period. The plant
does not withstand strong winds during the growing period because of its
vigorous vegetative growth, large leaves and viny habit. Therefore, windy sites
should be avoided or windbreaks should be established well before
planting.
It can be grown on a wide range of soils but deep, rich, well-drained sandy- loam soils are ideal. A soil pH slightly less than 6.9 results in maximum yield but higher pH up to 7.3 affects adversely because of Mn deficiency. Heavy wet soils are not suitable as plants do not tolerate wet feet for long.
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