EXCISED CANES ARE A SUITABLE TEST SYSTEM FOR THE STUDY OF BUDBREAK AND FLOWERING OF KIWIFRUIT CANES

Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson) canes were excised from vines during winter and suspended from the vi ne canopy in the field until late spring. The effects of excision, sub sequent orientation of the cane, and length of the cane (whole cane or cuttings) on spring budbreak, shoot growth, and flowering were compar ed with equivalent intact canes left on the vine. Excision and orienta tion of whole canes had no effect on budbreak. Budbreak on small cutti ngs (80%) was greater than on whole canes (40%) or intact canes (45%). The sequence of budbreak was also different in small cuttings. Shoot development on excised canes and cuttings was limited; shoots were sho rter, node number generally less, and flower bud size smaller. Numbers of flowers on shoots were the same on excised canes, cuttings, and in tact canes. Small cuttings are only useful to predict the flower numbe r potential of particular shoot buds. Excised canes form a suitable sy stem for the study of interactions between buds on a cane involving me asurements of budbreak, timing, and patterns of budbreak and/or number s of flowers per shoot.