From Mihoutao to Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit originally come from China, where they are known as Mihoutao. The kiwifruit of commerce are large fruited selections of Actinidia chinensis var. Chinensis (yellow and red fruit flesh) and A. Chinensis var. deliciosa (green fruit flesh). The two varieties of A. Chinensis differ in the place and timing of their initial domestication. Their domestication resulted from multiple selections from wild germplasm in the case of A. Chinensis var. Chinensis and from a single introduction of wild germplasm of A. Chinensis var. deliciosa to New Zealand.

Ross Ferguson, honorary fellow of Plant & Food Research, will tell you how, from an introduced plant, kiwifruit became an important commercial New Zealand fruit crop.