• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.395-398
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• 2000

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of harvest time, temperature and ethephon on the softening of astringent persimmon 'Cheongdobansi'. The persimmon was harvested on Sep. 21 (early season harvesting) and Oct. 11 (optimum season harvesting). Quality changes were evaluated at 10, 15 and $20^{\circ}C$ after ethephon treatment. Seventy percent of hardness decrease occurred during the first 2 days of treatment at 15 and $20^{\circ}C$, and hardness was slowly decreased after 6 days. The treatment of $10^{\circ}C$ was not effective on inducing fruit softening. Soluble tannin content was sharply decreased 6 days after ethephon treatment at 15 and $20^{\circ}C$ regardless the harvest time, whereas this was much slower in control. Hunter 'L' and 'b' values were increased until 2 days, and then decreased with the early harvested persimmon. The Hunter values were decreased until the 8th day of storage in fruit harvested at optimum season.