Quantification of Phenological, Physiological, and Morphological Response of Kiwifruit Varieties under Rainfed Conditions

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