Kiwi fruit Actinidiaceae Actinidia deliciosa Jessica Rosin Ethnobotany Presentation 4/3/13

History of cultivation First appeared in Northern China, in the Yangtze River valley. Introduced to the western world in the beginning of the 20th century Missionaries from China brought them to New Zealand 1952 Kiwifruits were exported to New England 1958 the first kiwifruits were exported to California 1970 the first crop of kiwifruits were successfully harvested in California

Major Producers The top four producers in 2000 were Italy (355,000 tons), New Zealand (229,068 tons), Chile (155,000 tons) and France (76,900). Other key producers include Greece, Spain and the United States.

Features of Cultivation Vigorous Plant, should be planted 3-4m apart Produce fruit 3-4 years after planting Sunny position Grow best in fertile, well drained, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter.

Botanical Description PLANT Trunk 8in in diameter of a mature plantings Two Types of shoots: Terminating/Non Terminating FLOWER 1-2 inch diameter Whorl of many stamens surrounds the ovary dioecious or unisexual FRUIT Fibrous Dull brown-green skin Green Flesh with tiny black edible seeds. Green Flesh = due to chlorophyll, does not degrade during ripening!

Plant uses Culinary Wine Meat Tenderizer Medicinal New Zealand docs prescribe for asthma and respiratory problems May delay onset of macular degeneration May protect DNA from oxidation (prevent early aging)

Nutritional Facts Fresh Canned Frozen Calories 66 Moisture 81.2 g 73.0 g 80.7 g Protein 0.79 g 0.89 g 0.95 g Fat 0.07 g 0.06 g 0.08 g Carbohydrates 17.5 g 25.5 g 17.6 g Ash 0.45 g 0.53 g Calcium 16 mg 23 mg 18 mg Iron 0.51 mg 0.40 mg Magnesium 30 mg 27 mg Phosphorus 64 mg 48 mg 67 mg Thiamine 0.02 mg 0.01 mg Niacin 0.50 mg 0.22 mg Riboflavin 0.05 mg 0.03 mg Vitamin A 175 I.U. 155 I.U. 117 I.U. Ascorbic Acid 105 mg 103 mg 218 mg (natural and added by pre-dip) There is twice the amount of Vitamin C in a kiwi then in an orange. Kiwi has as much K+ as a banana

Kiwi Bird: found only in New Zealand. This shy flightless, semi-nocturnal bird is rarely visible in its scrub brush and dark forest home. Fun Facts Buy kiwi fruit slightly green and put kiwis in a brown paper bag with an apple to accelerate ripening. The young leaves of the plant can be used in times of famine as they are highly nutritious. The kiwifruit skin is completely edible and makes this nutrient dense fruit even more nutritious! Recent study shows that eating the skin triples the fiber intake compared to merely eating the flesh. And by not peeling the skin, you preserve much of the Vitamin C content as well.

Sources http://blog.lib.umn.edu/michaels/thursaft/2009/09/botanical-fruit.html#comments http://www.fruit-crops.com/kiwifruit-actinidia-deliciosa-a-chev/ http://kiwi-fruit.info/kiwi-fruit/History+of+Kiwi+Fruit http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2002/02-03/Stats/Internet/KIWI_FEA.pdf http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=600 http://www.ehow.com/info_8189946_uses-kiwi-fruit.html http://www.aitc.ca/bc/uploads/sfvnp/2010%20Jan%20ProdInfo%20KIWI.pdf