Micropropagation of Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F.Liang & A.R.Ferguson

Actinidia deliciosa, commonly known as Kiwifruit (Chinese gooseberry), belongs to the family Actinidiaceae. The edible and fleshy fruit has gained popularity over the past few decades owing to its high nutritive value, and medicinal and potential curative properties. The fruit is rich in vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, dietary fibers, antioxidants, enzymes, phytonutrients, etc. The presence of actinide in Kiwis helps in regulating gastric abnormalities, hypertension, cardiovascular inflammation, hemostatic disorder, and abnormal glucose metabolism, and prevents cancer. Consequently, the fruit holds a considerable market value that has led to the establishment of industrial organizations comprising growers and distributors. For the purpose of fulfilling the constant market demands, it is crucial to maintain quality standards, timely production, and an abundance of planting material. This chapter discusses the various in vitro propagation methods, including diverse and detailed approaches for both the direct and indirect organogenesis for large-scale production of good-quality kiwi plants, along with ex vitro hardening and acclimatization processes. It is apparent that the plant tissue culture techniques can be suitably applied for the mass production of kiwi fruit, while other in vitro manipulations and further biological research are needed to improve the field performance and post-harvest life of the fruit and its plant.

Keywords: Actinidia deliciosa, kiwi, axillary bud culture, indirect organogenesis, anther culture, embryogenesis, hardening.