Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVIII, Issue 2
Written by Larisa Theodora ȚILINCĂ, Florin STĂNICĂ
The origin of most kiwi plant species is located mainly in Yangtze River Valley in the North Eastern part of China. At the beginning of 20th Century, seeds brought from China have been used by Hayward Right, a nursery man from New Zealand, to obtain the first hybrids plants and respectively, first selected cultivars, including Hayward the most cultivated genotype in the world. Later on, together with the extension of kiwifruit crop on several continents, breeding works started in the other countries. New Zealand remained at the forefront of breeding activity and, at the 90’s released the first yellow flesh kiwi Hort 16A - Zespri Gold. Other cultivars were obtained in Italy, USA, China, etc. In countries with a colder climate, kiwiberry (A. arguta) has become popular and breeding programs were carried out in New Zealand, Italy, China, Poland, Belgium, and Romania. In addition to public breeding programs, many private ones are active. The review presents the main kiwifruit breeding achievements.
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