A horticultural research station in the southern Indian city of Kodaikanal has successfully grown the region's first kiwifruit, website Deccanchronicle.com reported.

Princess of Hills researchers brought in kiwifruit planting materials to Tamil Nadu four years ago from the Solan Agricultural University in Himachal Pradesh, seeing how the Hayward, Allison, Monty and Brulo varieties would fare in the area.

The story reported successful results had given hope that the researchers could turn the fruit into a commercial crop, but yields were still relatively low.

"Against the normal yield of 120 to 150 fruits per vine in northern India, the station has so far registered 52 fruits per vine in Hayward and Allison varieties, which are suitable to the agroclimatic conditions in Upper Palani Hills," station head Dr A.Rajangam was quoted as saying.

www.freshfruitportal.com