Effect of different pollen sources on fruit characteristics and quality in ‘Niitaka’ pears (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai)

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore which pollen type could be an effective pollen source for self-incompatible ‘Niitaka’ pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai), when different pollinizers were to be applied. The pollens of five different pears with similar flowering times were applied to bagged ‘Niitaka’ flowers grown in Cheonan city, Korea. Pollen types used were of different origins including Korean pears (‘Wonhwang’ and ‘Chuhwangbae’), Japanese pears (‘Chojuuro’ and ‘Okusankichi’), and Chinese pear (‘Yali’). Results show that the amount of pollen produced by flowers of each cultivar was the largest in Korean pear ‘Wonhwang’ (234 g/100 flowers) and the smallest in Japanese pear ‘Okusankichi’ (126g/100 flowers). A high proportion of large fruits (> 600 g), 71.4% of total production, was found in the fruits treated with ‘Yali’ pollen. However, these fruits showed an unfavorable external appearance. Based on individual fruit width differences, ‘Chojuuro’ treatment produced the smallest difference in fruit diameters (3.2 mm) and ‘Yali’ treatment’ gave the largest (4.8 mm). Also, the difference in fruit length was the largest in ‘Yali’ (7.5 mm), which also produced the most uneven fruits among the pollinizers used. Meanwhile, the use of pollens of ‘Wonhwang’ and ‘Chuhwangbae’ improved productivity by increasing the fruit shape index and the ratio of bigger fruits in total production. Moreover, those pollens also decreased the development of lenticels on fruit skins which gave them a smoother appearance.