The quality of a cultivar evaluation programme depends on the quality and consistency of the data behind it. Yet across the global kiwifruit industry, evaluation methods have often varied between organisations, regions and breeding programmes, making meaningful comparisons difficult.
That is why the completion of the Culteva™ International Kiwifruit Evaluation Manual represents an important milestone for the industry.
Developed through collaboration between technical specialists and industry stakeholders, the protocol provides a standardised framework for evaluating kiwifruit cultivars across different environments, production systems and stages of development. The manual covers a broad range of evaluation areas, including vine performance, fruit quality, storage characteristics, sensory assessment and site suitability.
Standardisation does more than improve consistency. It enables stronger decision-making by allowing breeders, growers and commercialisation teams to compare results with greater confidence, identify promising selections earlier, and build more reliable datasets over time.
The protocol is now being implemented within the Culteva™ platform, where evaluators will be able to collect, manage and analyse kiwifruit evaluation data using a shared international framework.
As breeding programmes become increasingly global, the ability to generate comparable, high-quality data will become more valuable than ever. In that sense, the launch of the International Kiwifruit Evaluation Manual is not simply the introduction of a new protocol. It is a step towards a more measured approach to cultivar evaluation.
Learn more about the protocol and its development at Culteva.info or get in touch at info@culteva.pro
Gina Kuschke is the Sales and Marketing Manager at Provar, where she collaborates closely with the team responsible for the development and market positioning of the Culteva™ platform. Her work involves shaping communication, ensuring clarity and credibility. She is valued by the team for her creative approach to improving internal processes and helping optimise collaboration and efficiency across projects.
