Effects of Fruit/Leaf Ratios on Fruit Characteristics in Kiwifruit

Abstract

The present study was carried out in order to determine effects of hand thinning on fruit quality and yield. The branch based fruit thinnings were applied at six different rates of fruit/leaf (F/L) (1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6). The study conducted two years and pomological analysis were performed in collected fruits from the branches. According to the results, the highest values in terms of fruit/leaf ratio were obtained from 1/1 & x202f;F/L application for yield, total soluble solids (HM-TSS) and titratable acidity at harvest maturity (HM-TA) period; 1/2 & x202f;F/L application for TSS at ripening period (RP-TSS) and fruit peel colour both at harvest maturity (HM-FPC) and ripening period (RP-FPC); 1/3 & x202f;F/L application for vitamin C content; 1/5 & x202f;F/L application for fruit weight and fruit flesh colour at the ripening period; 1/6 & x202f;F/L application for fruit firmness, fruit lenght, fruit diameter, titratable acidity at ripening period (RP-TA) and titratable acidity at harvest maturity period (HM-TA). It can be concluded that the better results obtained from the applications of 1/5 and 1/6 & x202f;F/L thinning ratio in view of yield and quality, and so these applications may suggested to be applied in practice.