The present study was carried out to deduce optimum harvesting time based on fruit traits that were examined with fruits hanging the higher part (HP, higher than or equal to 2m height from the ground) and lower part (LP, lower than or equal to 1.5m height from the ground) on ‘Niitaka’ tree. The fruits of HP compared to of LP tended to be heavy and showed significantly higher soluble solid contents (SSC), hardness and gravity at each of the harvest time. On the basis f the discrepancies of the fruit traits between HP and LP, harvest time for the fruits of LP are acquired to be delayed for raising fruit weight and SSC. Due to the substantial probability of flesh pithiness based on the dramatic decrease of fruit gravity, it is necessary that the fruits of LP distributed just after harvesting or stored for short-term period.

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Ca-gluconate (Ca-glu) on fruit firmness and softening enzyme activities of hydroponically grown tomato (Solanium esculentum Mill.). The obtained results revealed that the rate of weight loss was markedly increased from at storage to 5 days after storage (DAS) in control, and was constantly increased until 7 DAS as 4.1% in Ca-glu treatment. Fruit firmness was more rapidly decreased in Ca-glu induced fruit compared to control. Results showed that fruit firmness in control and Ca-glu treated fruit were 0.67 and 0.95 kg좵즤12 mm-1, respectively. In our investigation, no difference was revealed in Hunter…s ‥a… value between control and Ca-glu treated fruit. Total carotenoids content of control fruit were rapidly increased while the Ca-glu treated fruit were gently increased. Lycopene content was higher (63.3 즗g；g-1 FW) in control than Ca-glu treatment (56.8 즗g；g-1 FW). The activity of Polygalacturonase (PG) was rapidly increased with increasing storage period as from 0.4 to 1.2 units whereas the PG activity of Ca-glu treatment was gently increased from 1 to 7 DAS, and rapidly increased from 7 to 11 DAS. However, the pectinesterase (PE) activity was rapidly increased in control fruit, when the storage period was increased, but interestingly, the Ca-glu treated fruit was slowly increased from 1 to 7 DAS, and rapidly increased 7to 11 DAS. ?-galactosidase activity of Ca-glu induced fruit was rapidly increased from 1 to 7 DAS as from 1.6 to 3.0 units, and gently increased from 7 to 11 DAS. ?-galactosidase activity of control were higher than Ca-glu treatment.

Using Fuji apple fruits cultivated in Kyungpook prefecture, the calibration model for firmness evaluation of fruits by near infrared(NIR) reflectance spectroscopy was developed, and the various influence factors such as instrument variety, measuring method, sample group, apple peel and selection of firmness point were investigated. Spectra of sample were recorded in wavelength range of 1100∼2500nm using NIR spectrometer (InfraAlyzer 500), and data were analyzed by stepwise multiple linear regression of IDAS program. The accuracy of calibration model was the highest when using sample group with wide range, and the firmness mean values obtained in graph by texture analyser(TA) were used as standard data. Chemometrics models were developed using a calibration set of 324 samples and an independent validation set of 216 samples to evaluate the predictive ability of the models. The correlation coefficients and standard error of prediction were 0.84 and 0.094kg, respectively. Using developed calibration model, it was possible to monitor the firmness change of fruits during storage frequently. Time, which was reached to firmness high value in graph by TA, is possible to use as new parameter for freshness of fruit surface during storage.