Abstract:

The kiwifruit, unlike other fruits, shows minor external changes as it approaches ripening. As a climacteric fruit, an appropriate harvest date gains increased importance to insure that, after months in cold storage, the quality of these fruits would be approved by the consumers.

The aim of this study was to assess the ripening progress of the yellow-fleshed kiwifruit ‘Jintao’ at two different orchards (different edapho-climatic conditions, plough, pesticides, machinery, etc.), in the north of Portugal, in order to determine their optimal harvest date.