Breeding of a kiwifruit cultivar Sweet White (Actinidia eriantha)

Abstract: Sweet White is a new green-fleshed kiwifruit cultivar (Actinidia eriantha)with excellent fruit quality, and it was selected from White. The seeds germinated in 2008, and the seedling No. 2 was significantly different from the female parent, and was found from the candidate population in 2012. The initial selection was carried out from 2013 to 2015 based on fruit weight, fruit shape and superior taste, and it was finally selected and named Sweet White in 2016. Throughout regional adaptability test at four sites (including Taizhou, Shaoxing, Wenzhou and Jinhua), the productive trial plantings were established from 2016 to 2020. In 2021, Sweet White was awarded the new plant variety right certificate by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The fruit is cylindrical shape and moderate in size. It weighs 59-65 grams on average. The stylar end is flat or slightly convex, and the fruit skin is green brown, with dense, long and gray white villi. The fruit flesh is green and the core shows yellowish white. The fruit has a fine texture, and flavor is sweet with aromatic taste and glutinous texture. The contents of soluble solids, dry matters, total sugars, total acids and vitamin C are 14.5%-18.1%，18.79%-21.29%，10.5%-13.1%，1.06%-1.16% and 589.6-619.3 mg·100 g^-1 fresh weight, respectively. Timely harvesting is needed. When the soluble solids content in fruit reaches over 7.0%, the harvest should begin. The fruit has good storage quality: storage life can last 1-2 months at ambient temperature and 5-6 months at cool storage. The shelf life of softening fruit at room temperature could be more than 15 days and keep 1-2 months under cool- stored condition. The fruit development period of Sweet White is about 165 days. It begins to bloom in mid-late May and the fruit matures in late October or early November in Taizhou area. Sweet White is vigorous. The percentage of bud break and cane forming are 71.9% and 100%, respectively. The cyme occurs at nodes 1-8 of the fruiting canes, and there are often 4 to 8 inflorescences on these nodes with predominant inflorescences containing 3-7 flowers. The flow-er size is about 4.3 cm, with 5-7 dark red petals, 2-3 sepals and 42 stigmas. The fruit set rate is above 95%, and there is no physiological fruit drop. Sweet White is less susceptible to bacterial canker of kiwifruit (Psa) and has better performance under Psa condition. This cultivar has been put into production early, with high and stable yield. Grafted plants of this cultivar start fruiting at the second year, and the output is about 1264 kg per 666.7 m² at the fifth year after grafting. Spacing in the rows and spacing between rows could be 3 m×4 m or 4 m×4 m, using the pergola and T-bar system, with a single trunk and two permanent arms. Maoxiong No. 1 is recommended as a pollinizer, and the ratio of male to female could be (6-8)∶1. The inheritance characteristic of' this cultivar is stable, with high content of vitamin C, easy peeling, good yield, good quality and less susceptibility to bacterial canker. Areas suitable for cultivation include Zhejiang and some similar regions.