• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.421-430
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• 2022

Crop load management in apple trees is important for achieving optimum productivity and crop value. Hence, we investigated the influence of different crop loads on the fruit quality, mineral content, and yield of the 'RubyS' apple variety. After 4 weeks of full bloom, the crop load was adjusted by hand thinning to different (5, 10, and 15 fruits·cm^-2) trunk cross-sectional areas (TCSA), representing low, medium, and high crop loads. The low crop load increased the fruit size and weight, the development of the red-blushed area, and the peel color a^* at harvest; however, it reduced the total number of fruits·tree^-1 and yield compared with that of the other crop loads. The medium crop load improved the fruit weight, flesh firmness, and soluble solids content and reduced the fruits·tree^-1 but did not affect the fruit size and yield. However, there were no significant differences in the titratable acidity and starch index among the crop loads. The fruit mineral content (phosphorus and potassium) was higher in the low and medium crop loads compared to the high crop load. However, the nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium contents in the fruits were not affected by the crop loads. Overall, this study suggests that a low crop load improves the fruit size and weight, but its effect on the quality and fruit mineral content is similar to that of a medium crop load. Therefore, the optimum crop load level for the 'RubyS' apple trees was approximately 10 fruits·cm^-2 TCSA.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1529-1529
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• 2001

The watercore in apple is very important factor in storage and sorting of fruit. Most consumers tend to prefer the apple included watercore in immediately after harvest, however the watercore causes fruit flesh to brown during storage and lose the worth after all. But it is practically impossible to judge to the naked eye whether an apple has watercore or not. Therefore, the rapid, accurate and non-destructive analysis method for discrimination of watercore should be settled without delay. In this study we attempted the discrimination and quantitative analysis of watercore in apple fruit using near-infrared transmittance spectroscopy ‘Fuji’ apple fruits produced in Kyungpook of Korea was used in this experiment. The watercore content in apple was evaluated by graphic treatment of culled slice sections(10 mm). NIR transmittance spectra were collected over the 500 to 1000 nm spectral region with a spectrometer (Sentronic Co., Germany). The calibration models were carried out by partial least squares (PLS) analysis between NIR spectra data of apples and chemical data of watercore content. The spectra were different in absorbance between apple included watercore and not included one. Apple included watercore had higher absorption band than sample not included one at 732 and 820 nm. The calibration model seems to be accurate to predict the watercore content in apple fruit, the correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.99 and 0.93%, respectively. This result indicates that the PLSR calibration model by using NIR transmittance spectroscopy could be used for discrimination of watercore in apple fruit.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.222-229
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• 2022

Apples are the most grown fruit crops in the fruit industry of Korea. However, virus or viroid infection such as apple mosaic virus (ApMV), apple stem grooving capillovirus (ASGV), apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) causes fruit yield reduction and poor fruit quality. Therefore, in this study, we examined to established an efficient virus-free system to eliminate the most infected ASGV virus in domestic apple orchard. We investigated that the shoot growth rate and the virus removal rate in ASGV infected potted apples that were treated with heat treatment in a growth chamber (constant temperature/humidity device) maintained at 36℃, 38℃ and 40℃ for 4 weeks. Here we found that the shoot growth rate was the highest in the heat treatment group (36℃) and the virus was removed in the middle and top of the shoot but not in the bottom. The virus was did not removed in the 38℃ and 40℃ heat treatment group in all section of shoots, and the heat treatment group (40℃) died after 4 weeks of heat treatment without growth of shoots. We performed in vivo shoot-tip grafting using the shoot-tip of potted apple heat-treated at 36 ℃, and we also investigated the viability and virus removal rate, which showed 94% viability and 20% virus removal rate. Collectively, our results suggest that it would be possible to produce the virus-free apple plants through heat treatment and shoot-tip grafting.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.124-131
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• 2010

Chlorophyll fluorescence has been researched for assessing fruit post-harvest quality and condition. The objective of this preliminary research was to investigate the potential of fluorescence spectroscopy for measuring apple fruit quality. Ultraviolet (UV) and blue light was used as an excitation source for inducing fluorescence in apples. Fluorescence spectra were measured from 'Golden Delicious' (GD) and 'Red Delicious' (RD) apples using a visible/near-infrared spectrometer after one, three, and five minutes of continuous UV/blue light illumination. Standard destructive tests were performed to measure fruit firmness, skin and flesh color, soluble solids and acid content from the apples. Calibration models for each of the three illumination time periods were developed to predict fruit quality indexes. The results showed that fluorescence emission decreased steadily during the first three minutes of UV/blue light illumination and was stable within five minutes. The differences were minimal in the model prediction results based on fluorescence data at one, three or five minutes of illumination. Overall, better predictions were obtained for apple skin chroma and hue and flesh hue with values for the correlation coefficient of validation between 0.80 and 0.90 for both GD and RD. Relatively poor predictions were obtained for fruit firmness, soluble solids content, titrational acid, and flesh chroma. This research has demonstrated that fluorescence spectroscopy is potentially useful for assessing selected quality attributes of apple fruit and further research is needed to improve fluorescence measurements so that better predictions of fruit quality can be achieved.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.481-487
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• 2010

The ripening behavior of three apple cultivars, 'Tsugaru', 'Hongro' and 'Fuji' was distinctive and the involvement of POLYGALACTURONASE(PG) in the fruit softening process was confirmed to be ethylene dependent. Fruit softening is genetically coordinated by the action of several cell wall enzymes, including PG which depolymerizes cell wall pectin. Also, loss of firmness is associated with increasing of the ripening hormone, ethylene. In this work, climacteric ripening of three apple cultivars, Tsugaru, Hongro and Fuji, producing different ethylene levels and ripening responses, was examined. Correspondingly in Fuji, a linear and basal ethylene level was observed over the entire period of measurements, and Tsugaru and Hongro displayed a typical climacteric rise in ethylene production. Transcript accumulation of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis (MdACS3 and MdACO1) and MdPG1 was studied in Tsugaru, Hongro and Fuji cultivars. Expression of MdACO1 transcripts was shown in all three ripened apple fruits. However, the MdACS3 and MdPG1 were transcribed differently in these cultivars. Comparing the MdPG1 of 'Tsugaru', 'Hongro' and 'Fuji', structural difference was discovered by genomic Southern analysis. Overall results pointed out that MdACS3 and MdPG1 play an important role in regulation of fruit ripening in apple cultivar.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2008

This survey was conducted from 1992 to 2005 in the major apple producing districts in southern part of South Korea including $4{\sim}8$ cities, to know the occurrence and damage level of two major pests, Carposina sasakii and Grapholita molesta that attack apple fruit. The fruit damage by G. molesta during the harvest period ranged from 0.02 to 1.64%. A tendency of higher damage of G. molesta was observed after 1997 compared with the previous years. The other hand, the fruit damage by C. sasakii was 0.02 to 1.30%, and the damage level was very low with fruit damage of < 0.3% except 1998. The orchard infested with G. molesta was 13 to 71 %, while 12 to 57% with C. sasakii. The rates of orchards where fruit damage by G. molesta was found were higher than those by C. sasakii after 1997. The tendency of fruit damage rates in the orchard where the most fruit damage was found was same with the trend of orchard rates infested with the pests. The maximum damage rate by G. molesta was 20.0% in 2005, while 4.5% by C. sasakii in 1998. The damaged shoot rates by the first generation G. molesta was $0.1{\sim}8.1%$, and it had a positive correlation with the rates of fruit damage during the harvest period. Consequently, it is concluded that G. molesta is dominant species compared with C. sasakii in commercial apple orchards recently.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.449-455
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• 2016

'Gamhong' apple cultivar which was bred by National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, has high sugar contents, large types of fruit and mid-season types of cultivar. However, 'Gamhong' apple tree is very sensitive cultivar to bitter pit. Therefore, many farms have not solved the problems on bitter pit to cultivate 'Gamhong' apple tree. This study was carried out to find out the exposed length of rootstocks on the occurrence of bitter pit and fruit quality of 'Gamhong'/M.26 apple tree and seek the ideal cultivation strategy to decrease bitter pit to cultivate it. For this research, ten-years-old 'Gamhong'/M.26 apple trees were used. The difference among the treatments of the exposure of rootstock of RL (5 cm), RM (15 cm) and RH (20 cm) from the soil surface was observed with 4 repetition from 2010 to 2011. Decreased exposure of rootstocks resulted in more vigorous growth, taller height, and greater number of shoots. N and K/Ca of RH was tend to be lower than RM and RL, whereas as the exposure of rootstock decreased, fruit weight and bitter pit increased. Therefore, occurrence of bitter pit in RH was significantly lower than that of RM and RL treatment and fruit weight also decreased. There was no difference on nutrient contents of leaf and the fruit quality by the exposed of rootstock in 'Gamhong' M.26 apple tree. To reduce the occurrence of bitter pit, it may be helpful to keep the optimum exposure of rootstock within 20 cm from the soil surface.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2006

When apples are picked or selected by grader, the rate of wound occurrence on the skin by apple stalk is remarkably high if the apple was bigger than 3 size during the harvest time. Except this case, the other sizes showed very little similarity. The crop of apple per 1 minute was 2.9kg without cutting fruit stalk, whereas only 1.1kg of the apples were obtained due to cutting the fruit stalk. Thereby, the harvesting without cutting fruit stalk is highly effective in terms of productivity rather than cutting the fruit stalk. As far as the wound occurrence rate on apple skin by apple stalk of distance between grader's dish and accumulated board is concerned, the grader which has no distance showed quite low rate of wound occurrence compared with those grader with 3cm or 8cm distance. When the apple was being stored, there was no difference in firmness between the cut stalk apple and the uncut stalked apple, however there was slightly more weight loss in the cut stalk apple than uncut stalk apple.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.271-276
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• 2015

Crab apple cultivars, 'Maypole', 'Tuscan', and 'Manchurian', were evaluated as potential pollinizers of major apple cultivars, 'Fuji', 'Hongro', and 'Tsugaru', cultivated in high-density apple orchard systems. Numerous cultivar characteristics, including blooming time, pollen germination, fruit set, disease and pest resistance, and self-incompatibility, were examined. The blooming times of both 'Maypole' and 'Tuscan' ranged from April 19 to May 5, which was 2-4 days earlier than those of the major commercial apple cultivars. PCR analysis did not reveal the presence of any of the S-alleles (S1, S3, S7, or S9) identified in major commercial apple cultivars. In addition, the percentage of the fruit set was high after trees were artificially fertilized with crab apple pollen. Artificially cross-pollinated fruits were of similar or higher quality than open-pollinated fruits. They also demonstrated resistance to apple blotch, sooty blotch, and fly speck. The results indicate that the two crab apples, 'Maypole' and 'Tuscan' would be potential candidates for pollinizers of major apple cultivars in Korea. Use of the pollen of these crap apples in commercial production will improve fruit quality and promote sustainable and robust fruit production.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.288-293
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• 2013

In worldwide, viral diseases of apple plants has caused the serious problems like reduced production and malformation of fruits. Also, the damages of apple plants by virus and/or viroid infection (Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus, Apple stem grooving virus, Apple mosaic virus, and Apple scar skin viroid) were reported in Korea. However there is few report about the protection approach against the infection by apple viruses. Therefore, this paper introduced the experimental protocol for the development of virus-free apple cultivars (Danhong, Hongan, Saenara, Summerdream). Apple plants were treated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 4 weeks and shoot tips were cultured in vitro. After heat treatment, the detection of apple viruses was performed by RT-PCR using virusspecific detection primers in new apple cultivars. With the heat treatments followed by in vitro shoot tip culture, the proportion of virus-free stocks of 'Danhong', 'Hongan', 'Saenara', and 'Summerdream' was 28%, 16%, 12%, and 12%, respectively. Taken together, this approach can be a good tool for production of virus-free apple stocks.