Japanese kiwifruit may outgrow N.Z. product

Press, 13 June 1984, Page 35

Japanese kiwifruit may outgrow N.Z. product

By

BRUCE ROSCOE

in Tokyo

Japanese kiwifruit growers are embarking on artificial pollination projects to increase the size of the fruit.

In New Zealand, artificial pollination of kiwifruit is regarded as a costly, labour-intensive alternative to natural pollination by bees.

Japanese agricultural researchers, however, say they have partly mechanised the pollination process and hope to raise the average weight of Japanese kiwifruit from about IOOg to 135 g each. Heavier fruit will fetch higher prices, the re-

searchers believe. Mr Katsutoshi Nonaka, a researcher who helped pioneer the pollination process at the Hebaru Agricultural Co-operative in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, said the method was tested for three years and this year applied to all the main kiwifruit growing areas. He said the pollination success rate at the 80-hec-tare Hebaru kiwifruit orchard was now about 95 per cent. At Hebaru one method of artificial pollination tested was to leave the male kiwifruit flowers on a finemeshed net and wait for the

pollen anthers to open naturally. Researchers also tried to open the anthers by using the heat from a Japanese foot-warmer. The highest success rate, however, had been achieved by using the heat from 40watt lightbulbs blackened by car exhaust. The bulbs were hung over opened fruit cartons containing male flowers. This method has been used by Japanese apple growers for years to produce huge expensive apples. Mr Nonaka said a bat-tery-powered spray-type pistol had been developed to shower the female kiwifruit flowers with pollen.