Preliminary investigation of a small fruit problem in kiwifruit,Actinidia deliciosa

It was suspected that disease caused the developmentof small fruitin kiwifruit. Accordingly, the development of the fruit from female flowers infected with blossom rot was followed. A large number of these infected flowers did not develop into fruit and the remainder developed into ‘dropped shoulder’ or small deformed fruit with some seedless carpels. Removal of some stigmas and styles from healthy flowers also produced ‘dropped shoulder’ fruit. Removal of part of each stigma from healthy flowers did not, however, affect the shape and size of the resultant fruit. The mechanism of the development of the deformed fruit is discussed.