Physiological, biochemical and molecular regulatory mechanisms of kiwifruit responses to heat stress: A review and future perspectives

• Highlights the effects of heat stress on different stages of kiwifruit plant development • Offers an overview of key elements mechanisms induced by heat stress on kiwifruit • Summarizes the available strategies to handle global warming effects on kiwifruit • Presents future research directions for breeding development of HSR cultivars As a globally traded fruit, kiwifruit ( Actinidia spp.) cultivation has expanded rapidly in recent decades. However, temperature rises induced by climate change are increasingly threatening plant production, with prolonged heat exposure causing irreversible physiological damage and significant yield losses. This review summarises the physiological, biochemical and molecular responses of kiwifruit to heat stress (HS), and possible actions to enhance crop resilience to heating, both now and in the future. We have compiled information on the effects of HS exposure on kiwifruit plants at different developmental stages, as well as on hybridisation and grafting as potential methods of increasing heat stress resistance (HSR). We also explore the methods and mechanisms underlying HSR in kiwifruit as well as the available information on cultivar development. Finally, we discuss some prospects for counteracting the effects of HS on kiwifruit production. To achieve HSR, a mix of strategies based on zoning, orchard management, intra- and interspecific hybridization and cultivar development must be understood in depth.