Comparison of the influence of defined storing conditions on asian and european pear cultivars

The study observed changes in the material composition of European (Conference) and Asian (Yali) pears during the storage period at different temperatures. Three different temperatures were selected for storing, i.e. 1 &deg;C, 5 &deg;C and 20 &deg;C. Assessed for each of the pieces of fruit were flesh firmness, titratable acidity, soluble solids content, content of organic acids, and production of ethylene and carbon dioxide. Fruit stored at 1 &deg;C and 5 &deg;C was analysed before the moment of putting to the store and then after 25, 55 and 70 days of storing. Fruit stored at 20 &deg;C was analysed before the moment of putting to the store and then after 14, 22 and 30 days of storing. The respiration intensity observed through carbon dioxide production at refrigeration conditions was approximately of the same progress for both of the varieties. For the Yali variety, the intensity of respiration of the fruit at the start of the storing period strongly decreased.The same progress was recorded for the Conference variety. Storing at 20 &deg;C increased the respiration intensity. The varieties Yali and Conference which were stored under the temperature of 5 &deg;C had the highest CO2 production after 70 days of storage. For both varieties the lowest ethylene production during storage was observed at 1 &deg;C. Ethylene production was higher in Yali pear fruits. The Yali variety stored at 20 &deg;C from the beginning produced up to 10 times higher concentration of ethylene than the fruit of the Conference variety. The highest amount of ethylen by the Conference variety was produced by the fruits which were stored under the temperature of 5 &deg;C. At the beginning of the storage period the Conference pears had two-fold higher flesh firmness than the Yali fruit. Fruits of the varieties Yali and Conference which were stored 70 days under the temperature of 1 &deg;C had the highest flesh firmness. For soluble solids and titratable acidity no clear progress was recorded. Malic acid was predominant in both varieties. The Yali fruit contained more citric acid than the Conference fruit. In both varieties soluble solids gradually increased in the early days of storage at all of the monitored temperatures. <!--[endif] --