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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Food Quality Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #311641
Title: Evaluation of fruit quality and susceptibility to blue mold of nine Asian pear cultivars

Author
item Jurick, Wayne
item Park, Eunhee
item Gaskins, Verneta
item NEWELL, MICHAEL - University Of Maryland
item HARSHMAN, JULIA - Washington State University
item WALSH, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2015
Publication Date: 9/15/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61756
Citation: Jurick II, W.M., Park, E., Gaskins, V.L., Newell, M.J., Harshman, J.M., Walsh, C.S. 2015. Evaluation of fruit quality and susceptibility to blue mold of nine Asian pear cultivars. Acta Horticulturae. 1094:471-475.

Interpretive Summary: Asian pears are native to China, Japan and Korea and are grown in the US in California, Oregon, and Washington State. However, plantings have recently and rapidly expanded to the Mid-Atlantic region (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia). A major gap in the literature exists on the assessment of quality attributes and susceptibility of Asian pears to blue mold decay which composed the main objectives of this study. In general, all nine cultivars were susceptible to decay during storage and had similar acid and sugar levels. This data is useful for breeders and horticulturalists to develop new Asian pears that have both exceptional quality and reduced susceptibility to blue mold decay during storage.

Technical Abstract: Nine Asian pear cultivars (Atago, Hosui, Isiiwase, Kosui, Olympic, Shinko, Shinsui, Ya Li, and Yoinashi) were evaluated for quality (firmness, titratable acidity, and soluble solids) and susceptibility to the blue mold pathogen Penicillium expansum. Fruit were grown at the University of Maryland Extension Wye Research and Education Center in Queenstown, Maryland and transported to the USDA-ARS research facility in Beltsville, Maryland. Data from pears harvested in 2012 and 2013 were combined and mean values were calculated. Force required to puncture the epidermis varied from 11.3 N (Kosui) to 28.8 N (Olympic). Soluble solids ranged from 10.9 °Brix (Atago) to 15.9 °Brix (Shinsui), and titratable acidity from 0.09% malic acid equivalents (Kosui) to 0.18% malic acid equivalents (Hosui). All cultivars were susceptible to blue mold decay; mean lesion diameters ranged from 28.9 mm (Isiiwase) to 39.1 mm (Yoinashi) after 7 days storage at 25 °C. Variation in fruit quality and susceptibility to blue mold decay was observed among the nine cultivars. This information will help both small scale niche growers and commercial pear producers decide whether to immediately market or store fruit of specific Asian pear cultivars depending on their quality parameters and susceptibility to blue mold.