ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Quantification of Phenological, Physiological,
and Morphological Response of Kiwifruit
Varieties under Rainfed Conditions
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1
Department of Horticulture, PMAS, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-46300, Pakistan
2
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PMAS, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-46300, Pakistan
3
Department of Agronomy, PMAS, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-46300, Pakistan
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School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
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Department of Environmental Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir Upper,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 18000, Pakistan
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Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh
11451, Saudi Arabia
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Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Ghent-9000, Belgium, Belgium
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Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh 33516, Egypt
Submission date: 2023-09-07
Final revision date: 2023-11-16
Acceptance date: 2023-12-31
Online publication date: 2024-04-08
Publication date: 2024-04-18
Corresponding author
Mukhtar Ahmed
Department of Agronomy, PMAS, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-46300, Pakistan
Ayman El Sabagh
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh 33516, Egypt, Egypt
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(4):3701-3719
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TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Climate variability affects the phenological, physiological, and morphological adaptability
of Kiwifruit. Hence, five Kiwifruit varieties were evaluated under variable rainfed climatic
conditions in Pothowar. Phenological data of all five varieties was observed at both study sites, including
bud initiation, bud swelling, and bud burst. Goldflesh (GDF) and Green Flesh 1 (GF1) were observed
to be late in bud burst and to have poor physio-morphological responses and plant survival rates.
In contrast, Hayward (H), Bruno (B), and Greenflesh 2 (GF2) exhibited superior performance in terms
of plant physiological and morphological traits (e.g., heat damage percentage, photosynthetic activity,
shoot length, t runk diameter, d isease incidence percentage, and survival rate). Greenflesh 2
(GF2) plants at both study locations exhibited a lower percentage of heat damage (4.25 and 5.83) than
Greenflesh 1 (6.2 and 9.87) and Goldflesh (6.11 and 8.83), respectively. Bruno had more photosynthetic
activity (627.31 and 773.5 mol m-2 sec-1) than Goldflesh (330.49 and 343.71 mol m-2 sec-1) and Greenflesh
1 (346.96 and 354.25 mol m-2 sec-1, respectively). Hayward (112.56 and 183.44 cm) and Bruno (109.98
and 160.39 cm) had longer shoots compared to Greenflesh 1 (44.23 and 71.26 cm) and Goldflesh (62.49
and 111.16 cm). Bruno (1.02 and 1.6 cm) and Hayward (0.93 and 1.56 cm) had a significantly larger trunk diameter than Greenflesh 1 (0.74 and 1.3 cm) and Goldflesh (0.78 and 1.3 cm), respectively.
Hayward, Bruno, and Greenflesh 2 were significantly more resistant to disease incidence (0.27, 0.15,
and 0.41) and plant survival was high (80%, 78%, and 79%) in all three varieties at both locations.
Bruno and Greenflesh 2 proved to be the most productive varieties under variable climate conditions;
thus, their material can be used to develop future Kiwifruit ideotypes in rainfed regions.