Abstract
The delay and inferiority of Japanese persimmon ‘Fuyu’ coloration have become very problematic years. To identify solutions to this problem, this study investigated the effects of treatment with fertilizer containing a natural type of abscisic acid (S-ABA) on fruit skin coloration. Treatment with fertilizer containing S-ABA led to a significant increase in coloration of the fruit apex, reaching a 1.0 higher color chart value, and necessitating a 7–10 day earlier harvesting time compared to controls. Significant effects on treatment with fertilizer containing S-ABA were observed before coloring onset in this study, which corresponds to the period from September to the beginning of October. However, treatment after the onset of coloring was ineffective. Coloration improvement was observed approximately 10 days after the treatment. Significant differences were found in color chart values compared to control fruits until harvesting. These results suggest that coloration improvement on using fertilizer containing S-ABA was due to accelerating the transition to the coloring period.
