Where is the most authentic red-fleshed kiwifruit produced, and what are its cultivation techniques?

Red-fleshed kiwifruit is a fruit that serves both as food and medicine, with an extremely high vitamin content. So what are the cultivation techniques for red-fleshed kiwifruit? And how should you choose them in daily life? Let's take a look together below.

1. Red-fleshed kiwifruit cultivation techniques

It is best to choose a mountain orchard site with convenient transportation, ample sunlight, near a water source, moderate rainfall and slightly high humidity, with loose, well-aerated sandy loam or sandy soil, or hilly mountainous land with loose, humus-rich soil.

1. Trellis type

The main trellis methods used in red-fleshed kiwifruit cultivation include: T-shaped trellis, fence trellis, tripod trellis, and large greenhouse trellis, etc. A flat-topped large greenhouse trellis is mostly used; existing small-diameter trees on site can be used as living posts, plus some replaceable bamboo or wood posts, with concrete posts used at key positions. The on-site trellis height is 1.8 m, with No. 10-12 iron wire crisscrossing in a “well” shape network, and the wire spacing is about 60 cm.

2. Fertilization

The amount of fertilizer applied is determined according to the red-fleshed kiwifruit variety, the planned yield to be achieved, and the soil fertility status. Before planting, 2.5 kg of fruit tree fertilizer can be applied per plant at one time in the pit or trench, and young trees use the method of applying small amounts multiple times. Thereafter, fertilizer is generally applied 3 times a year, 1 base fertilizer application and 2 topdressing applications. Because the roots of kiwifruit are fleshy roots, chemical fertilizer should be applied in a shallow trench slightly away from the roots and then covered with soil, to avoid burning the roots. After fertilizing in the dry season, irrigation must be carried out.

3. Shaping, pruning and fruit thinning

The shaping of plant branches depends on the trellis method, and the trellis surface should be fully utilized so that the branches are evenly distributed, thereby achieving the goal of high yield and good quality.

Red-fleshed kiwifruit pruning is divided into winter pruning, summer pruning and male plant pruning. Winter pruning is carried out during the period from after leaf fall to 1 month before bud break in early spring, mainly by thinning, with appropriate heading back. Keep more main vines and fruiting mother branches, and cut off overly dense large branches, slender weak branches, crossing branches and diseased and pest-damaged branches. Summer pruning is mainly carried out from mid-May to early July for shoot removal, pinching, thinning and tying, promptly removing sprouts on the main trunk, and arranging space for branches and vines.

Fruit thinning is generally carried out 1 month after flowering. Keep the middle fruit and thin the side fruit, so as to leave 1 fruit per 4-5 leaves. Generally, 1-2 fruits are left per 20 cm on normal branches, and 5-6 fruits are left per 20-25 cm on weak branches. For a plant yield of 50 kg, 500-600 fruits should be left.

4. Pest and disease control

The main diseases harming kiwifruit include anthracnose, root-knot nematode disease, damping-off, seedling blight, root rot, and fruit soft rot, etc. Among them, anthracnose harms both stems and leaves as well as fruits, and can be controlled by spraying 2-3 times with 800-fold carbendazim at budding. For root-knot nematode disease, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened, and isofenphos-methyl or 30% carbofuran toxic soil should be used for control.

After harvesting the fruit, clean the orchard, cut off diseased and pest-damaged branches and dead branches, and burn them in a centralized manner to reduce sources of disease and pest infection.

5. Harvest at the appropriate time

The storage life and quality of red-fleshed kiwifruit are greatly affected by the maturity at harvest. Picking kiwifruit too early or too late will affect the quality and flavor of the fruit, and it must pass through the quality formation period to fully mature.

According to the fruit development period, when the soluble solids content of the fruit is 6%-7%, it is the suitable harvest time, while fruit that needs long-term storage is required to reach 7%-10%. The best picking time is before 10 a.m. when the temperature has not yet risen. When harvesting, pick gently, place gently, and handle and transport carefully to avoid bruising and compression, and it is best to grade and pack them into storage as they are picked. The bottom of boxes, baskets and other containers used to hold the fruit should be lined with soft material, and they should be picked and placed gently, without pulling and injuring the fruit stalk or scratching the fruit skin. Newly harvested fruit is hard and astringent, and must undergo 7-10 days of ripening and softening before it can be eaten.

2. Where is the most authentic red-fleshed kiwifruit?

The main producing areas of red-fleshed kiwifruit include Dujiangyan in Sichuan, Shangyu in Zhejiang, Liupanshui in Guizhou, Xixia in Henan and other places. Among these, Pujiang in Sichuan has the largest planting area and the highest degree of standardized management, and can be said to have overtaken others later; our company has also built a 2,000-mu red-fleshed kiwifruit planting base in Zunyi, Guizhou.

3. How to choose red-fleshed kiwifruit?

1. First look at the fruit shape

High-quality kiwifruit has a relatively regular shape. Different varieties still differ slightly in appearance, so they cannot be generalized. Kiwifruit that has been over-treated with swelling agents, however, has an altered fruit shape, with more irregular ones.

2. Look at firmness.

Generally, when choosing kiwifruit, it is recommended to choose firmer ones. If the fruit is relatively soft or partially soft, it is generally not recommended to choose it; if it is relatively soft, it is usually not storage-resistant and easily spoils. If you choose soft fruit, you should eat it immediately after returning home.

3. Look at the appearance.

Those with a plump shape, uniform color, and no damage or disease are better, and those revealing a faint green color are good; those without bagging are brownish-yellow. Several varieties of red-fleshed kiwifruit have smooth skin and are all hairless varieties.

4. Look at the size.

Small fruits are not inferior to large fruits in taste and nutrition, so there is no need to pursue large fruits blindly, and especially do not choose abnormally large fruits. The weight of commercial red-fleshed kiwifruit is generally most suitable at 80-120 grams.

5. Smell the aroma.

Fully ripe kiwifruit has a relatively soft texture and is accompanied by aroma; this is the suitable state for eating. If the fruit is hard in texture and has no aroma, it means it is not ripe and still needs to be stored for a period before it can be eaten. If the fruit is very soft, or appears bulging, and has an alcoholic smell, it is overripe or rotten and cannot be eaten.