Postharvest Physiology, Postharvest Pathology and Freshness-Keeping Technologies of Pear Fruit in South China

In this paper, the research results of postharvest physiology, postharvest pathology and freshness-keeping technologies of pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) fruits, which were distributed in Fujian Province were summarized in recent years. Postharvest physiology involved the changes of fruit respiration, ethylene production, nutritional ingredient, cell membrane permeability, cell membrane oxidation and pericarp pigment, and fruit softening mechanism. Physiological diseases caused by fruit water loss, chilling injury, core browning and flesh browning, and infectious diseases caused by macrophoma rot (Macrophoma Kawatsukai Hara),brown rot (Sclerotinia fructigena Aderh. et Ruhl.) and rhizopus rot (Rhizopus nigricans Ehrb.) during pear fruits storage. Quality keeping technologies of pears such as storability among various cultivars, harvesting date, antiseptics, package, storage environmental condition, storage and transport under ambient temperature, cold storage and freshness-keeping,etc., were studied too.