Effect of canopy position on fruit quality in ‘Hort16A’ kiwifruit in New Zealand

SummaryCanopies of ‘Hort16A’ kiwifruit vines [Actinidia chinensis Planch. var. chinensis] grown on a pergola were divided into six zones, two zones along the leader in a North-South direction, by three zones in an East-West direction, away from the central leader. Fruit quality was measured in each zone to determine if fruit from different positions were sufficiently different to warrant selective harvesting. Fruit weight, dry matter (DM) content, maturity (i.e., flesh colour, firmness, and soluble solids content), flesh nutrient content, and the incidence of storage disorders were measured.The experiments were carried out in three orchards in Northland, New Zealand, over 3 years. Fruit quality differences were detected between zones, but these differences were generally small and not always consistent over the three seasons. Fruit were ≤ 15 g larger in the zones furthest from the leader, in an East-West direction, and were likely to soften on the vine sooner than fruit closer to the leader, which were sm...