Italian researchers have developed a new early gold kiwifruit that is hoped will plug a supply gap in the European market, with a showing for potential growers set to take place on Sep. 10.

The joint effort between the University of Bologna and the University of Udine took 10 years to finalize the hybrid.

University of Bologna professor Guglielmo Costa told www.freshfruitportal.com the project sourced several different kiwifruit varieties from around the world, finally deciding on one from a shortlist of 10.

"The variety we’ve come up with is early-ripening, has a good size, flesh color, taste and generally favorable characteristics; it has good potential so we have asked people in the industry to consider planting it," he said.

"It is a very early chinensis variety with harvesting on Sep. 1., and this is a benefit particularly as there really isn’t much fruit around at that time.

The hybrid was a controlled cross between A. chinensis A0172 and A0134.6, with a dark yellow color, regular Hayward-like shape and a medium fruit dimension.

Costa was unable to give a clear indication about the hybrid's resistance or tolerance to kiwifruit disease Psa.

"I cannot say whether it is more or less resistant than other varieties because in the tests we’ve done, some have said yes, some have said no, others maybe.

"We tested the variety with three methods, and I would say it is no more or no less resistant to the current varieties in Italy."

The variety itself has been protected and the two universities are looking for partners interested in attaining exlusive licenses, either worldwide or restricted to certain continents, to propagate and trade the cultivar.

The cultivar will be exhibited on Sep. 10 at 10:30am at the Faculty of Agricultural Science of Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna.

Nurseries have until Sep. 20 to send expressions of interest to business.team@unibo.it. Click here for more details about how to participate in the exhibition or to make an expression of interest.

www.freshfruitportal.com