Abstract
In order to identify the factors that influence Japanese pear softening and ripening, we determined the changes of cell wall composition during fruit growth. The results showed that ethanol-insoluble solid (EIS) content was significantly higher in rough texture cultivars than in soft texture cultivars, the content during late May and early June decided the content at harvest periods and influenced flesh hardness. Cell wall composition results showed that cellulose content and lignin content played important role in EIS content especially during late May and early June. The accumulation of photosynthetic products studies showed that the accumulation in EIS was higher in rough ‘Chojuro’ than in soft ‘Kosui’ fruits in mid-May.
