SHORELINES

Growing the kiwi business Wall and his wife, Jenny, tend the vines with four other employees. Jenny also checks on fruit counts, serves as a health and safety manager, and handles invoices and administrative tasks. "We have an extensive monitoring process," Wall said. "Some people are experimenting with planting, but we jumped in with both feet. We have 175 total acres of fruit." "e golden kiwi is a real vigorous and healthy plant," said Chilton Research and Extension Center (CREC) Director Matthew Price, whom Wall consults for strategies for growing golden kiwis. "ey thrive pretty well in the Southeast. In China, kiwi vines grow onto trees like kudzu does here. e vines like warm temperatures with humidity." From mid-October through mid-February, kiwis require 750 hours to 850 hours of "chill time" – temperatures below 45 degrees – to flower. Without those dormant hours, the vines won't produce well. Price said that central Alabama's mostly frost-free temperatures are "just about right" to allow kiwis to flower. It's a delicate dance keeping the plants happy, said Price, who earned a bachelor's degree in horticulture from Auburn University and is working on his master's degree in crop, soil and environmental science. e vines need a lot of water to produce fruit, but they don't like "wet feet," Price said. "e roots don't need to be in water," said Price, who has worked at the CREC for 20 years. "Aer a heavy rain, that's a big negative for kiwi fruit." e farm's five large reservoirs hold up to 100 acres of surface water. Overhead irrigation is provided over 180 acres. Two pumping stations with a total of seven engines – five diesel and two electric – supply water, not only for irrigation, but also to coat plants with a thin layer of ice to protect them in case of frost when temperatures drop. During the summer, the overhead sprinklers raise the humidity. "I'm one of the only people using diesel motors for frost protection," Wall said. e farm has gained notoriety among horticulturists from Auburn, Georgia Tech and Clemson universities, who have visited to learn more about how to grow kiwis. Representatives from the Alabama Farmers Federation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies have been on-site. "Golden kiwi is a new commodity," Wall said. "We've tried to make ourselves available to state and federal agencies that have shown interest." Working to curb non-native pests e past few years, Alabamians have become increasingly aware of stink bugs, which somehow manages to infiltrate homes. Alabama has native brown and green stink bugs. e infamous brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys) hurt kiwis. Native to China, Japan and Korea, the invasive species likely traveled to the U.S. in shipping containers from China. "Stink bugs sting the fruit and can cause direct damage to our product," Wall said. "You can't spray your way out of the problem. We use pheromone traps. Ultimately, overseas, many farmers put netting over the orchards. Eventually, we may have to fully enclose the area here. "at would be a pretty big project," he said. "We'd be installing a 2-mil gap, mesh netting over the entire property. We're building structures with netting on a small scale, to test it." e Samurai wasp from China, a natural enemy of the brown marmorated stink bug, is slowly establishing itself in New England. "With some luck, the insect will make its way down South in about five years," Wall said. "It's against state law to move an insect. You can't move species across to the South." Price said that Alabama's stink bugs "don't pester kiwi very much." "Last year, the marmorated stink bug really did enjoy our kiwi and peaches," Price said. Kiwi 'super fruit' packs flavor, healthful properties e health benefits of kiwis are promoted far and wide by physicians and nutritionists. Classified as a "super fruit" similar to acai, blueberries and pomegranates, kiwis boost the immune system. e fruit contains antioxidants believed to prevent damage to cells and is a good source of fiber. Kiwis have an enzyme called actinidin that helps break down protein and can help digestion. at same enzyme makes the fruit a good meat tenderizer. "My wife and I used to make a puree and use it to marinate lamb, such as mutton, for about 15 minutes," Wall said. "e fruit is jammed full of antioxidants, with more vitamin C than an orange, more fiber and potassium than a banana, and it's got vitamins A and E," he added. "It's more holistic to take iron supplements with kiwi. If you consume kiwi with iron, your body can absorb it more." Wall said that residents can feel good about kiwis and the farm that is bringing more sweet benefits to Alabama. "is is a huge opportunity – kiwi is not as simple as some other fruit commodities," he said. "It's not easy to take a new commodity onto a high-demand market, and it's a challenge to meet our high quality-control standards. "Our goal is to grow golden kiwi successfully," Wall said. 6 | 2019 Vol: 2

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