How American Farmers Successfully Breed Kiwi Fruit, Harvesting and Caring for Kiwi Fruit

Kiwi fruit, originally called peanuts, is native to the mountainous regions of China, mainly the Yangtze River region. Local people have known and used this fruit for centuries before it became popular in the world. In the early 20th century, kiwi seeds were introduced to New Zealand, where the plant thrived in the cool climates and fertile soil. The kiwi fruit was quickly renamed to match the country's signature kiwi bird. Since then, New Zealand has become the leading country in exporting kiwi fruit to the world. Following its success in New Zealand, kiwi fruit has been widely grown in many other countries such as Italy, France, Greece, the United States and Chile. Due to its high nutritional value and great commercial potential, kiwi fruit is quickly becoming one of the most popular fruits globally. Kiwi was introduced to the United States in the 1960s. At that time, kiwi was a fairly new fruit to American consumers, but thanks to strong promotional efforts, especially from New Zealand, kiwis are gradually winning the hearts of consumers. By the 1970s, kiwis began to be grown commercially in California. The state's warm climate and suitable soil conditions help kiwis thrive. Since then, California has become the largest kiwi production center in the United States. Currently, the majority of kiwi fruit in the United States is grown in the northern and central regions of California. The warm climate and moderate humidity of this region create ideal conditions for kiwi fruit to grow. Kiwis need a special climate, cool in summer and not too cold in winter. California provides such conditions, especially in areas with well-drained soils with a pH of 5.527. Kiwi plants are sensitive to extreme temperatures, extreme cold temperatures, and winter can also adversely affect plant growth and fruit quality. Unusual frosts pose major challenge to US kiwi growers. Kiwis also face many different types of pests and diseases, so weeding and pruning also need to be done. Pruning creates open space for the tree to receive good light for the tree's growth. Although kiwi fruit is not a water-intensive crop like rice or sugarcane, providing adequate water, especially during critical growth stages, is essential. In California, water resource management is a big challenge for kiwi farms due to prolonged drought. Variety are currently widely popular in the thanks to its sweet flavor, soft skin, and attractive color. This variety also has better disease resistance, higher yield, and easier to grow than traditional kiwi varieties. Kiwi harvesting must be done at the right time to ensure the highest quality fruit. Kiwi fruit should be harvested when they reach physiological maturity, but still firm to avoid damage during transport. Kiwi fruit should be harvested by hand by gently twisting and pulling the fruit off the stem. This helps avoid damaging the fruit skin. Kiwis are often cleaned to remove impurities such as dirt, bacteria, or residual pesticides. Once harvested, kiwi fruit are transferred to automated or manual sorting and screening systems. This process is to sort the fruit by size, color, and surface, conditioned to ensure that only the best quality fruit is selected. Smaller or damaged fruits are usually separated for use in processed products. An important factor in grading kiwis is ripeness and sugar content. Kiwis are usually packaged in cardboard boxes to ensure air circulation, preventing steam from spoiling the fruit. The kiwis will then be distributed to a supermarket or large retail outlets.