Influence of Kiwifruit Canopy Position on Fruit Quality

The influence of canopy position on several kiwifruit quality attributes was evaluated. The experiment was conducted on fruit from a commercial kiwifruit orchard (Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward') located at Rigoli (Pisa, Italy), in 2004 growing season, where vines were trained as a free palmette. Fruit were harvested from four different positions of the canopy; the positions (external- and internal- top, external- and internal- bottom) were characterized by a different quantity of daily intercepted solar radiation. At harvest some fruit quality attributes were measured (i.e., weight, soluble solids content and flesh firmness) and fruit analysed for ascorbic acid and chlorophylls content. Canopy position markedly influenced some of the quality attributes studied, particularly fruit ascorbic acid content.