Calyx-end browning in sweet persimmon (Diospyros kaki) fruits is the postharvest disorder during the storage and shows different proportions by the cultivars. This study was to evaluate fruit texture characteristics at harvest and to learn how browning in fruits affects the cell structures in different cultivars. Persimmon cultivars included ‘Fuyu’, ‘Jiro’, ‘Uenishiwase’, ‘Daiandangam’, and ‘Ro-19’, which were harvested at the end of October in 2003 and investigated after 100 days storage. Fruit texture varied with different cultivars. ‘Jiro’ and ‘Ro-19’ fruits did not have browning symptoms while ‘Daiandangam’ fruits had approximately 80% browning of them. There were no visual differences for the cell structure in fruit peels between fruits without browning, such as ‘Jiro’ and ‘Ro-19’, and fruits with browning, such as ‘Fuyu’, ‘Uenishiwase’, and ‘Daiandangam’. The most outer layers in a ‘Jiro’ fruit peel arranged one to two epidermis which could not induce browning in the tissues, while ‘Fuyu’ had two to three layers, inducing a browning symptom. Although there were no differences for the tissue structure between browning and normal fruits, browning fruits did not have apparent cell organelle and proceeded degradation of cell walls in the flesh.

'Fuyu' (Diospyros kaki L.) is an important sweet persimmon cultivar, and the fruits are often stored in a modified atmosphere after harvesting in South Korea. However, blossom-end browning and darkening of fruit often occur after harvest or during storage, which decreases fruit quality in the fresh fruit market. High fruit calcium concentration would reduce oxidation of phenolic compounds in the cytoplasm such oxidation is responsible for fruit browning. This study investigated the effects of soluble calcium fertilization and foliar application, and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) fertilization on fruit quality and browning. Trees received one of the following five treatments: 1) control (no calcium or IBA); 2) calcium fertilization (Ca FG, 2 mL per tree); 3) calcium foliar application (Ca FA, 2 mL); 4) calcium and IBA fertilization (Ca+IBA) 5) IBA fertilization (IBA, 2 mL. Fruit calcium concentration was highest in trees treated by Ca FA, and lowest in control trees. Generally, fruit calcium concentration was high in the stem end but low in the blossom end, which usually first develops fruit-browning symptoms. There were no apparent differences in fruit qualities such as firmness, soluble solid content, and weight among treatments. Fruit browning occurred at frequencies of about 14%, 20%, and 50% on Ca FA, Ca FG, and control trees, respectively. Therefore, the improved fruit calcium level seen when trees received Ca or IBA application tended to prevent fruit browning, which increased fruit quality and storage properties.