Mini kiwifruit, a variety bred by scientists of the SGGW in Ursynow, has hit the stores. This new variety was developed through cooperation between the Faculty of Horticulture and Biotechnology, the Agricultural University of Landscape Architecture and growers of the Grójecki region.
"Their sale in shops and markets is a chance for consumers to become familiar with their taste and incorporate them to their daily diet. If we succeed, we will seek to bring them to store shelves again next year. Their organic nature and interesting taste make them a valuable addition to the existing fruit range in our market," says Assoc. Peter Latocha, creator of the new Polish cultivars for this actinidia plant.
Researchers are constantly searching for new plants to expand the fruit and vegetable market assortment with new species or varieties characterised by great dietary and health-related values, but also suitable for the Polish soil and climate.
The Actinidia arguta, whose fruits are called hardy kiwifruit, kiwiberry, kiwai, kiwibes or mini-kiwi, depending on the country, perfectly meets these expectations. It used to be planted as an ornamental in our gardens, but it started spreading on commercial plantations in many European countries. Mini-kiwis are much smaller than regular kiwis, but have a smooth edible skin and can be consumed whole. They have an attractive taste and contain numerous healthy compounds, including vitamin C, lutein, polyphenols and proteolytic enzyme.
The plants are almost free from diseases and pests, and are perfect for organic cultivation, which further increases their value. The study, conducted for years at the Section of Environmental Protection of the Department of Horticulture, Biotechnology and Landscape Architecture of SGGW in Warsaw by Dr Peter Latocha, resulted not only in confirming the possibility to grow this plant in Poland, but also to breed its own varieties.
The "Bingo" variety is just reaching the store shelves, and so far, the sensory tests conducted confirmed that the mini kiwi fruits are appealing to the taste of Polish consumers. Cultivation of Actinidia can also be very profitable even for smaller growers, as current wholesale prices in Europe entail a potential income as high as 200 - 250 thousand zł per hectare (47.94 - 59.93 thousand Euro).
