The level of resistance to decay caused by four fungal pathogens, the force required to break the epidermis, and the extent of open sinuses as measures of potential decay resistance were determined for the fruit of several apple cultivars. No single cultivar was the most resistant to each of the four pathogens in this study. In addition, each cultivar that was the most resistant to one pathogen also was the most susceptible to one of the other pathogens. However, Royal Gala was the most resistant to the wound pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, and Mucor piriformis. Fuji and Oregon Spur II were more resistant than other cultivars to Pezicula malicorticis. The epidermis (skin) of Fuji and Granny Smith were the most resistant to puncture, requiring an average of 81.5 and 87.0 Newtons, respectively, to break the epidermal layer. Fuji had the highest percentage of fruits with open sinuses, with a mean of 38%, whereas Braeburn had 0% of fruit with open sinuses. The cultivar information presented herein may be a valuable measure of decay resistance and may be of use to the apple industry.

cr-Famesene in the skin tissue of 'd'Anjou' pears (Pyms communis, L.) increased to a maximum after 3 months of storage in air at -1°C and then declined. a-Farnesene was oxidized to conjugated trienes and its oxidation was inhibited by.ethoxyquin. The split application by drenching fruit with 1,000 ppm ethoxyquin at hatvcst and then line-spraying 1,700 ppm after 1, 2 or 3 months of storage inhibited the oxidative activity of a-farnesene similar to the single application with 2,700 ppm ethoxyquin by drenching fruit at harvest. Incidence of superficial scald was highly correlated with the level of conjugated trienes. The control of scald by ethoxyquin was due to its antioxidant action and/or its inhibition of conjugated trienes biosynthesis.

Levels of both free and bound abscisic acid (ABA) in flower primordia of ‘Montmorency’ sour cherry, as measured by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), increased during autumn leaf abscission. Mechanical defoliation of trees prior to the onset of leaf abscission prevented this increase in ABA without affecting the intensity of rest. The leaves on forced branches inhibited neither bud break nor flower development, while ABA inhibited both processes. Once the level of ABA had risen naturally, temperature had no effect on its disappearance. These results cast doubt on the involvement of ABA in the control of winter bud dormancy in sour cherry.

`Bartlett' pears (Pyrus communis L.) were harvested at commercial maturity (average flesh firmness of 18 lb), stored at 30F for 0, 2, or 4 weeks, and then placed into a ripening room at 68F with or without ethylene to evaluate ripening activities. Pears that were stored in air at 30F for <4 weeks did not ripen after 7 days at 68F in an ethylene-free (no-ethylene) room. These pears ripened normally and uniformly after 7 days at 68F in a room enriched with 100 ppm ethylene (yes-ethylene). `Bartlett' pears that were stored in air at 30F for 4 weeks ripened normally after 5 days at 68F in the yes-ethylene room or 6 days at 68F in the no-ethylene room. The amount of cans produced per ton of fresh processed pears can be maximized most economically by exposing freshly harvested `Bartlett' pears to 100 ppm ethylene at 68F for 7 days before canning.