INVESTIGATION OF VENTRAL SUTURE EARLY SOFTENING OF PEACH FRUIT

Experiments were undertaken in an attempt to determine the reasons for ventral suture softening in the peach fruit cv.
Dajiubao (Prunus persica L. Batch ‘Okubo’). As fruit softened ethylene production, pectase activity, seed respiration, were measured and fruit mineral content determined.
Ethylene production occurred initially in the embryo, coinciding with the beginning of softening, but as ethylene was released into the flesh tissue softening was enhanced.
At the same time pectase activity was at a peak, but maximum seed respiration peak occurred after fruit ventral suture softening had occurred.
Water and nitrogen contents in the flesh, seed and shell were higher, and dry matter lower, in fruit with ventral suture softening than in normal fruit.
It is suggested that the reason for fruit ventral suture softening might be the affect of too much water in the seed that induced increased respiration and the release of ethylene from seed into the flesh.
Therefore it is suggested reducing irrigation and nitrogen supply before peach fruit harvest could be an important management tool for reducing fruit ventral suture softening.

XXVII International Horticultural Congress – IHC2006: International Symposium on The Role of Postharvest Technology in the Globalisation of Horticulture

Hanpu Ma, Zhimin Liu

peach, ethylene, ventral suture, mineral elements

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.768.19