Comparison of quantitative and qualitative traits of some Asian pear cultivars under Karaj climatic conditions

The present study was conducted on five-years-old trees of eight Asian pear cultivars Ks6, Ks7, Ks8, Ks9, Ks10, Ks12, Ks13, Ks14 along with Shahmiveh and Spadona as control during 2014 to 2017 cropping seasons, where all genotypes were grafted on seedling rootstock. The measured characteristics were consisting of fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, length-to-diameter ratio, fruit firmness, acidity, pH of fruit juice, total suspended solids (TSS), yield in the tree and fruit ripening time. Among the studied cultivars under Karaj climate condition, cvs. Ks10 and Ks14 were early flowering, while the highest yield in the tree, the highest firmness of fruit flesh and the lowest acidity of the fruit was observed in cv. Ks13. The lowest yield per tree, the softest fruit flesh, the highest acidity and the highest TSS was recorded in fruit of Spadona and Shahmiveh cultivars. The biggest fruit and the lowest TSS were observed for Ks12 cultivar, while the smallest fruit was produced by Ks6 cultivar. Therefore, it was concluded that Asian pear cultivars have a better fruit yield and texture compared to European pear varieties, but they are less favored for their taste and flavor. Among the Asian pear cultivars, two early ripening cultivars Ks7 and Ks10 as well as two mid-ripening cultivars Ks13 and Ks14 have improved yield and quality and are adapted to Karaj climate.