KIWIFRUIT, which can be found on the shelves of leading supermarkets in major cities, will soon be available in abundance after its trial production has proved successful.

Trials for growing kiwi, also known as Chinese gooseberry, in the northern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially in the Hazara belt, were going on for the past three years at a vast farm developed by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).

Although the origin of kiwi is China, it was first commercially produced in New Zealand during the 1930s. Its seeds were introduced for the first time in New Zealand from China in 1904 through a teacher who handed over the seed to an agricultural researcher Hayward Wright.

Mr Wright developed the first kiwifruit variety in the 1920s and named it Hayward. New Zealand has now become the largest exporter of the fruit.

Encouraged by the results of research and development of kiwi, the PARC — the country’s apex research body — launched a project in different locations in the union councils of Mansehra district where 540 selected kiwi plants were introduced and promoted on farmers’ fields measuring about five acres.

By virtue of its agro-climatic conditions, the Hazara division has great potential to become an important fruit basket for KP

Subsequently, the Tea Research Institute at Shinkiari, a union council of Mansehra, was upgraded to the National Tea and High Value Crops Research Institute (NTHRI) where the research and development in kiwi were being carried out for the past three years under the ‘Promotion of Kiwi Fruit in Mansehra Area’ project.

In March 2014, the institute received and tested 50 kiwi plants of the Hayward variety imported by the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) from Nepal.

The ratio of success led to a full-fledged launching of a kiwi development project in mid-2015. It was aimed at carrying out research and promoting the fruit as a new cash crop for farmers in Mansehra district. The project was completed in June this year, with most of the initial objectives achieved.

As part of the project, research was conducted on different aspects of kiwi such as improved production technology, management of plants, propagation through cuttings, aerial and ground layering, grafting, application of different levels of plant root growth hormones and application of different growth mediums.

As a result of these research experiments, scientists at the institute standardised methods for a proper and successful propagation of kiwi plants through different methods.

A mother block of 50 kiwi plants of the Hayward variety has been established at the NTHRI during the project period. Besides, an orchard of 210 plants has been established by intercropping kiwi plant in a tea field.

The growth of the plant in both the locations has been promising and the plants in the main fruit orchard have started bearing fruit.

The number of fruit per plant has increased to about 300 on average this year from 10 to 30 a year ago.

The plants that have been intercropped in the tea field have just started bearing fruit this year as they are two years old now. The first harvesting of kiwi fruit is expected in November.

Dr Noorullah Khan, senior scientific officer and incharge of the project, says the area has been found suitable for cultivating kiwi and the prospects for promoting and commercialising the fruit look brighter.

PARC chairman Yusuf Zafar has directed project officials to train the personnel of private nurseries in the production technology and raising nurseries of kiwi plants together with plants and seeds.

Kiwi growth is greatly influenced by environmental conditions, including temperature, soil aeration, soil moisture content and drought.

Its plant grows well in the area with an annual rainfall of 1,500mm. The optimal temperature for the growth of kiwi plant ranges between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius while a temperature below 10 and above 35 degrees Celsius significantly reduces plant growth.

A kiwi plant is sensitive to waterlogging and needs well-aerated soil, Dr Noorullah explains. It grows well on upland hilly areas having slope where there is no chance of waterlogging. It also grows well in acidic soil having a pH of 4.5 to 6.0, whereas a pH above 7.2 adversely affects plant’s growth.

In addition to the Hayward variety, seven other varieties and germplasm have been imported from China.

After acclimatisation, these varieties were transplanted into the open field for screening and evaluation, and their population were increased through grafting of seedling rootstock.

The population of kiwifruit germplasn and varieties will be utilised in further research on screening and evaluation at different locations in the Hazara division, Dr Noorullah said.

The division has great potential for growing kiwi, both for domestic and commercial purposes, as its geo-climatic conditions are most suitable for the fruit.

Dr Noorullah said that in view of last three years’ experience with kiwi, it is obvious that the fruit has vigorous growth and higher survival rate in Shinkiari as well as on farmers’ field in Mansehra as compared to other lowland areas of the country.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development also evaluated the cultivation of kiwi in Mansehra. S.L. Sherpa, a kiwi fruit expert from Nepal, says kiwi planted in Shinkiari last year was doing well compared to Islamabad and Chakwal where trials did not succeed.

By virtue of its agro-climatic conditions, the Hazara division has great potential to become an important fruit basket for KP, with the growth of a variety of fruit crops such as apple, peach, pear, apricot, plum, cherries, walnuts and almonds which are high-value cash crops.

Thus, the cultivation of fruit has an important position in the farming system of the Hazara valley by enhancing household nutrition and is a major feature of its subsistence economy.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 3rd, 2017