'Jintao', a novel, hairless, yellow-fleshed kiwifruit

Abstract

'Jintao' is a new yellow-fleshed kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch) developed from the breeding program at the Wuhan Institute of Botany (WIB), in Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China. 'Jintao' is a midseason cultivar that ripens three to four weeks before the standard commercial cultivar [A. deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson] 'Hayward'. It is sweeter than 'Hayward' and has a smooth skin. 'Jintao' was selected from A. chinensis and offers growers in warmer climates an alternative to 'Hayward', because of its higher productivity, better fruit quality, and improved heat tolerance. 'Jintao', which means golden peach in Chinese, is named in recognition of its yellow flesh and the common Chinese name, Mihou-tao, or monkey peach.