Abstract
For Japanese pear the change in the temperature of fruit was monitored from the day before to the day after harvest and the resultant expression of fruit core rot after storage were compared for two handling regimes. Fruit were either harvested at 3 p.m., left in the field overnight and then moved indoors at 8 a.m. on the following morning, or moved indoors (25°C) immediately after being harvested at 8 a.m.. Fruit harvested at 3 p.m. and left in the field maintained a higher flesh temperature than fruit moved indoors (25°C) immediately after harvest. As well, the delay in moving fruit indoors resulted in a higher incidence of fruit core rot after storage.
