Electrostatic treatment enhances pollen viability and improves fruit quality in 'Xuxiang' kiwifruit

Electrostatic treatment holds promise for enhancing pollen and seed viability, as well as improving crop quality. However, there are limited reports regarding the effects of electrostatically treated pollen on pollination and fruit quality in plants. In this study, an electrostatic pollination platform was established, treated pollen was used to pollinate the kiwifruit cultivar (Actinidia deliciosa cv. 'Xuxiang'), and in vitro germination experiments were conducted. In field experiment, style samples were collected every 0.5 hours over a continuous period of 20 hours, and pollen tube behavior was observed using fluorescence staining. Sufficient kiwifruit samples were harvested to determine the contents of sugars, acids, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in fruits with varying firmness. Electrostatic treatment increased pollen germination rate, accelerated pollen tube growth to style base by 5 hours. During both harvest and ripening stages, soluble solids content (SSC) and sugar content (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) significantly increased (up to 5.6%), while dry matter content (DM) showed a slight increase, titratable acidity (TA) and vitamin C (VC) content decreased, therefore, kiwifruit under electrostatic pollination exhibits a sweeter flavor profile, suggesting 28 kV to harvest superior-quality kiwifruit. Interestingly, in ripening phase, varying electrostatic voltages influence the content of VOCs, particularly esters, suggesting that different voltages may impart distinct aroma profiles to kiwifruit. This study proposes a novel orchard management and cultivation technique.