INFLUENCE OF LEAF AREA ON THE SUGAR AND ORGANIC ACIDS CONTENT IN PEAR (PYRUS COMMUNIS) FRUITS CULTIVAR WILLIAMS

The influence of the leaf area on the contents of sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, sorbitol), soluble solids, organic acids (malic, citric, fumaric, shikimic) and titrable acids in pear fruits of (Pyrus communis) cv. ‘Williams’ was studied in 1997 and 1998. The contents of individual sugars and organic acids were determined by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). The experiment comprised two treatments: defoliation performed on July 22, by removing 30% of the leaves was compared with non defoliated controls.
The reduction in leaves decreased the contents of sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, sorbitol), soluble solids, citric, fumaric and shikimic acids and increased the contents of malic and titrable acids.
When compared to the control, defoliation caused the contents of glucose, fructose, sucrose, sorbitol, soluble solids, citric, fumaric and shikimic acids to be reduced by 26 to 33%, 0.3 to 7.8%, 5.4 to 11.5%, 14.1 to 26.1%, 5.2 to 7.8%, 21.6 to 27.2%, 17.2 to 21.4% and 22.2 to 41.5% respectively.
The contents of malic and titrable acids were increased by 82.6 to 103.8% and 19.0 to 19.6% respectively.

VIII International Symposium on Pear

M. Hudina, F. Štampar

HPLC, fruit quality, defoliation, soluble solids, titrable acids

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.596.128