Five new kiwifruit varieties developed in Yichang

By Chen Si, Yichang International Communication Studio

Yichang Agricultural Science Research Institute has developed five new varieties of kiwifruit which are expected to further advance the development of the industry in the birthplace of this fruit.

Among them, the most advanced variety is Mantianhong No.2, which was developed over the course of six years by the Yichang Academy of Agricultural Science and the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Mantianhong No.2

The sugar content of ordinary kiwifruit is 15 to 16, but Mantianhong No.2, whose Chinese name means “a full sky of redness,” reaches a sugar content of 16 to 18 when ripe and  grows to a larger size than ordinary kiwifruits.

This variety is also resistant to pests and diseases, can tolerate high temperatures and drought and has excellent yields.

In a hot and dry summer, the normal kiwifruit yields around 1,500 kilograms per mu (0.07 hectare), while this new variety in testing reached over 2,000 kilograms.

Yichang is the birthplace of kiwifruit. In May 1900, Ernest Henry Wilson, a famous British botanist, discovered the kiwifruit in the southwest of Yichang. He introduced the eastern plant with beautiful flower patterns and sweet and sour pulp to Europe and America.

In 1952, kiwifruit was exported from New Zealand to Britain. Because of its resemblance to the kiwi, New Zealand's national bird, it was given the name “kiwifruit.”

Yichang’s Wuduhe Town was certified as the World Origin of kiwifruit. Situated between 300 and 1,350 meters above sea level, Wuduhe Town's soil, water and climate conditions are ideal for growing kiwifruit.
 

Kiwifruit in Wuduhe Town.

Currently, the town's 6,800 mu of kiwifruit are expected to produce 6,000 tons this year, with an output value of more than 30 million yuan (US$4.27 million).

Yichang City's total kiwifruit planting area has reached 30,000 mu and brings in an annual income of 1.2 billion yuan, according to the Yichang Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Three hundred mu of high-quality kiwifruit in Jiuwanxi Township, Zigui County, has also entered the harvest season. So far, the town's small-sized fruit planting area has exceeded 5,000 mu, with an annual mu value of 15,000 yuan.

People picking kiwifruit in Zigui County.

In addition to the main production area of Yiling District, kiwifruit is also grown in Yuanan, Changyang, Zigui, Zhijiang among other counties and cities.