Parental Origin Influences Seed Quality and Seedling Establishment in Kiwifruit Cultivars

Kiwifruit (Actinidia Lindl.) cultivation is restricted to climates similar to its native habitat in China. The seeds, a product of sexual reproduction, are used to produce rootstocks in commercial plantations, being an important source of genetic diversity for adaptation to variable conditions and emerging challenges. It is known that obtaining kiwifruit plants from seeds is difficult due to their characteristic dormancy. However, the effect of habitat and parents on seed characteristics and their relationship to the seedlings produced is unknown. Here, we show that plants with tolerance to extreme conditions provide advantages to their offspring. We point out that Actinidia arguta cv. Passion Poppers (kiwiberry), capable of tolerating extreme temperatures below zero, has a larger seed size (volume over 15 mm3) and weight (100 seeds weigh nearly 200 mg), greater germination capacity (90.75 ± 1.03), and more robust seedlings (quotient of 20.28 ± 0.75) than classic green and golden kiwifruits, and one tropicalized commercial kiwifruit from Veracruz, Mexico. These findings highlight that parental origin influences seed quality and seedling establishment. We noted that A. arguta seeds offer opportunities for mass plant propagation. In addition, the use of parental plants adapted to extreme conditions could be an effective strategy to improve seed and seedling quality, with factors such as long-term survival and development in new environments awaiting to be explored in extent.