Some physiological aspects of blackend of pears

Abstract

Leaves and fruit were sampled throughout the growing season from Josephine de Malines pear trees on Kieffer seedling rootstocks growing under irrigation in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria. The samples were taken from three trees that had consistently carried blackend fruit and from three trees that had never had blackend fruit. Water contents and water deficits were determined for the leaf samples, and the fruit samples were analysed for soluble solids and calcium content. There were no differences in the leaf water relations between affected and unaffected trees, but soluble solids and calcium contents of the fruit were greater in the samples from affected trees. In all samples soluble solids and calcium contents were higher at the calyx end of the fruit.