Research experts and scholars on kiwifruit from more than 20 countries around the world presented at the 7th International Symposium on Kiwifruit held in Faenza, Italy on September 12 to 17.
The symposium focused on themes of kiwifruit breeding, cultural management, disease control in pre- and post-harvest and fruit quality. Prof. HUANG Hongwen, director of the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCBG) and Dr. LIU Yifei participated in the symposium.
As one of the Scientific Committee members of the symposium, Prof. HUANG was invited to deliver a keynote speech on genetic resources, introgression breeding and cultivar improvement of Actinidia in China. Dr. LIU reported the ploidy variation and the related ecological adaptation of the Actinidia chinensis complex in the natural populations of China.
The International Kiwifruit Working Group of the Society of Horticulture Commission honored world's senior scientists on kiwifruit study. Prof. HUANG shared the Lifetime Achievement Awards of kiwifruit study, together with Prof. Ross Ferguson from the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, and Prof. Guglielmo Costa from the University of Bologna, Italy.
HUANG was elected as the President of the 8th International Kiwifruit Working Group of the Horticultural Society.
The International Kiwifruit Symposium was held every four years. The first session was held in Italy in 1990 and the fifth session was held in Wuhan, China in 2003. After 12 years, the symposium will return to the kiwifruit's hometown - China.
