New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

---

Manipulation of carbohydrate concentrations in kiwifruit

NICKY G. SEAGER^*
ERROL W. HEWETT

Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand

IAN J. WARRINGTON

The Horticulture and Food Research
Institute of New Zealand
Private Bag 11 030
Palmerston North, New Zealand

^*Present address: The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand, Private Bag 11 030, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Abstract  Girdling was used to manipulate carbohydrate concentrations in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa) laterals to determine the impact of carbohydrates on the rate of fruit maturation. Individual laterals were girdled and pruned to achieve either a 1:1 or 5:1 leaf:fruit ratio. Fresh weight, dry matter concentration, soluble solids, total sugar, and starch concentrations, were higher in fruit from the 5:1 than 1:1 leaf:fruit ratio treatment. There was, however, no impact of leaf:fruit ratio on the rate of decrease in flesh firmness. Fruit maturation, assessed by the time to reach 6.2% soluble solids concentration, was markedly delayed in the 1:1 treatment compared to fruit from the 5:1 leaf:fruit ratio treatment. Carbohydrate concentration in the 1:1 leaf:fruit ratio treatment appeared to be insufficient to allow normal fruit maturation to occur.

Keywords  Actinidia deliciosa; kiwifruit; flesh firmness; leaf:fruit ratio; soluble solids concentration; starch; sugar

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 1995, Vol. 23: 213-218

0114-0671/95/2302--0213 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1995

Short communication

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (380K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

---

This year's abstracts | Journal home page | All abstracts | Publishing home page