Kiwifruit is a dioecious fruit tree (with female varieties, which bear fruit, and males which fertilise the female flowers) and deciduous. The fruit is a berry, of different colour depending on the variety, with plenty of edible black seeds.
There are green-fleshed and yellow-fleshed varieties (Actinidia deliciosa, A. chinensis are the most cultivated species). In this article we will talk about some of the generalities to consider for their production and the advantages of growing them in net houses/greenhouses.
General crop requirements
- It needs to accumulate chill hours (HF), about 600-800 HF in the green-fleshed varieties and about 300-400 HF in the yellow-fleshed varieties. Its deficit results in an important harvest reduction.
- Shallow root system and very demanding in oxygen. It needs permeable, sandy-loam, slightly acidic soil.
- High water needs. No lack of moisture in the soil, no puddling.
- Low relative humidity (RH<60%) and high temperatures (T>26°C) during flowering result in pollen dehydration and lack of fruit set.
- It requires plant support structures with steel poles and wires.
Pollination is key to the profitability of the crop, as it has an impact on the shape, quality, size and number of fruits, as well as their organoleptic properties and post-harvest quality. In natural pollination, the most important insects are the honeybee (Apis melifera) and the bumblebee (Bombus terristris), with releases in the plantations.
Protected agriculture makes it possible to mitigate or eliminate the effects that climatic variables can have on kiwifruit cultivation:
- Reduces air speed within the structure, attenuating variations in humidity, so that pollen effectiveness is less compromised, and therefore fruit set is less compromised.
- It gives shade, reducing temperatures and scorch damage to plants and fruit.
- It protects against winds, preventing branches from breaking and leaves, flowers and fruit from falling (a permeability of 40-45% protects the plantation and allows air to circulate). This protection is crucial in very exposed areas or areas with saline winds, close to the sea.
- It reduces evapotranspiration and crop water requirements by decreasing wind speed.
- It provides a more favourable environment for pollinator activity.
- It protects against hail.
Source: http://www.serida.org/, https://agroambient.gva.es/documents/163228750/173203739/CULTIVO+del+KIWI.+Ficha+T%C3%A9cnica..pdf