Effects of harvesting time on fruit quality and internal browning of ‘Wonhuwang’ pear during cold storage

Abstract

Average fruit weight, seed browning, flesh firmness, total soluble solids, internal browning, and skin blackening were used to determine the optimum harvesting time of ‘Wonhuwang’ pear. Pears for storage were picked three times at 5-day intervals before, during, and after estimated optimum harvesting date. Average fruit weight and seed browning degree were calculated at each picking time. Quality changes, internal browning, and skin blackening were employed to estimate the optimum harvest date. It was found that fruit quality parameters both at harvest and after storage depended on the stage of ripeness at which the pears were picked. Pears harvested earliest (H1) had the highest firmness both before and after storage and lost less percentage of their firmness during storage. The latest picked pears (H3) showed higher total soluble solids value and serious internal browning and skin blackening due to their over ripeness. Pears picked on the 15th of August (H2) had higher firmness and total soluble solids, lower extent of internal browning, and no skin blackening. Based on the changes in fruit firmness and physiologic disorder during ripening and storage, the optimal harvesting time for ‘Wonhuwang’ pear in Shijiazhuang area is around the 15th of August.

Key words： harvesting time; flesh firmness; total soluble solids; internal browning; ‘Wonhuwang’ pear; cold storage

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Earmarked Fund for Modern Agroindustry Technology Research System of China (No. nycytx-29-19) and the Youth Fund of Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, China (No. A09110204).

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