A shape equation for Hayward Kiwifruit

Abstract

In this paper, a new shape equation for Hayward kiwifruit is developed. Being simple and generic, it required only the major measurable dimensions of a kiwifruit as inputs (length, major-diameter, and minor-diameter). The equation was validated against empirical shape data with a maximum 3.09% error. The new shape equation can estimate important metrics, such as volume, mass and surface area. Equation development was generalized, so shape equations for other crops could be produced using the same methodology. The simplicity and speed of this new method allow realistic populations of Hayward kiwifruit to be rapidly generated in a modeling environment.