Detailed Explanation of Key Points in Kiwifruit Cultivation Techniques (Part 2)
1. Prevent pests and diseases early: Before bud break and during the germination period, use 100 to 150 times diluted barium polysulfide for pest control spraying on the trees, or 3 to 5 degrees lime-sulfur mixture to kill eggs and overwintering pathogens. After leaf expansion, spray the foliar fertilizer Nongkang 120, which both supplements nutrients and prevents disease. 2. Apply sprouting fertilizer early: For large fruiting trees, apply compound...
Orchard EstablishmentSite Selection: The kiwifruit root system is fleshy and particularly fragile; it fears both waterlogging and high-temperature drought, and new shoots fear both strong winds that break them and late spring cold or low-temperature freeze damage. It is suitable for planting in sub-alpine areas (altitude 800-1400 m). Choose a location with deep soil layers, fertile soil, loose texture, good drainage and convenient transportation to establish the orchard. If cultivating kiwifruit in low mountains, hills or plains, appropriate drainage and irrigation facilities must be provided to ensure no waterlogging during the rainy season and timely irrigation during the dry season. It is best to establish a windbreak forest around the orchard.
Planting Time: The best planting time in southern production areas is after kiwifruit leaf fall and before kiwifruit bud break the following early spring, that is, from early December to mid-to-late February, and the earlier the better.
Arrangement of Pollinator Trees: Kiwifruit is a dioecious fruit tree, and the selection and arrangement of pollinator male plants is one of the conditions for ensuring normal fruiting. When selecting male plants, attention should be paid to those with the same flowering period as the main cultivar or slightly earlier, a large amount of pollen, and a long flowering period. A female-to-male ratio of 6:1 or 5:1 gives high yield and good quality.
Planting Density: Generally, planting density is closely related to the training system. For the hedge trellis, the density is 2 m x 4 m; for the T-shaped trellis, the planting density is 3 m x 4 m, about 56 plants per mu; for the flat-top pergola, the planting density is 3 m x 5 m.
Trellis Installation: Generally, the trellis is installed in the winter of the same year after planting, and consists of posts (cement posts, wooden posts, stone posts, bamboo posts and companion trees, etc.), crossbeams (cement posts, wooden posts, bamboo and metal, etc.), and the canopy surface made of wire, etc. According to local conditions, choose wooden trellises, steel trellises, concrete trellises and companion-tree trellises, etc. The main trellis types are the "Y" trellis and the "T" trellis.
Training Systems: There are 3 commonly used trellis systems in kiwifruit production, namely the hedge trellis, T-shaped trellis and flat-top trellis. Hedge trellis: The post is 2.6 m long and 12 cm thick, buried 80 cm into the soil, with a net height above ground of 1.8 m. On the trellis surface, 4 rust-proof wires are stretched from bottom to top, with the first wire 60 cm above the ground. A post is set every 8 m, and the vines are tied to the wires on the trellis surface. T-shaped trellis: A horizontal crossbeam is set at the top of the upright post to form a small T-shaped support. The post is 2.8 m long in total, and the crossbeam is 1.5 m long in total. Three high-strength rust-proof wires are stretched on the crossbeam. The post is buried 80 cm deep, with a net height above ground of 2 m, and a post is set every 6 m. Flat-top pergola: The trellis height is 2 m, and posts are set every 6 m. The posts throughout the orchard can be arranged in a square. The post is 2.8 m long in total and buried 80 cm into the soil. The posts around the pergola are connected with angle iron or steel bars, and wires of varying thickness are stretched between the posts to form a grid, constituting a flat-top pergola.
Pest and Disease Control
The main pests and diseases include blossom blight, anthracnose, stem blight, brown spot disease, fruit soft rot, phytophthora disease, root rot, and Japanese beetles, clearwing moths, flower bud maggots, fruit-sucking noctuid moths, etc. Comprehensive control methods should be adopted, focusing on strengthening management, enhancing tree vigor, strengthening soil disinfection, and emphasizing prevention. In addition, fruit sunscald is mainly controlled by strengthening tree vigor management and reasonable pruning. During the fruit growth and development period (late August), bagging can be used to prevent sunscald.