Flowers of diploid Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit) were hand-pollinated with pollen from either hexaploid A. deliciosa or diploid A. Chinensis males and the subsequent fruit were evaluated. Following pollination with A. deliciosa pollen, fruit set, fresh weight, dry matter content, and seed weight and number were reduced. However, the most striking effect was on fruit flesh color: the proportion of seedlings expressing red pigmentation, the intensity of pigmentation, and the anthocyanin concentration were greatly reduced. The effects on maternal fruit tissues were probably indirect consequences of a reduction in the number of fertilized ovules due to partial pollen incompatibility. Effects on seed development could be explained largely by the ploidy difference between the seed and pollen parents. Growers should be cautious about using A. deliciosa pollen to pollinate diploid A. Chinensis females, especially red-fleshed cultivars.
