quarantine requirements of the various countries must be satisfied. To achieve this, fumigation (e.g., methyl bromide), extreme temperatures, the use of controlled atmospheres, irradiation, and combinations of the above are commonly employed (2). More specifically, methyl bromide (CH 3 Br) treatment is often used for pest control because it has a wide spectrum of activity (3). However, an eco-friendly replacement for methyl bromide was necessary due to its phase-out requirements outlined in the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances (4). In addition, irradiation is an effective and eco-friendly non-chemical treatment for the eradication of harmful insects in fruits and vegetables (5,6). It has been also suggested that ionizing irradiation could be employed to sterilize or kill pests without damaging the flowers (7), with γ-irradiation doses <1 kGy being permitted for treating the majority of fresh fruits and vegetables (8). However, high doses of radiation can promote the softening of persimmon fruits, which renders them undesirable and unmarketable. Quality assessment of 'Fuyu' persimmon treated by a combination of γ-irradiation and 1-methylcyclopropene

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BACKGROUND: Liquid pig manure (LPM) has been used as an alternative for conventional fertilizers on some gramineous crops. However, its chemical properties varied widely depending on the degree of the digestion. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the responses of persimmon trees to immature (not well-digested) LPM application. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ten application levels of immature LPM, consisted of a total of 3 to 30 L in 3-L increment, were applied during summer to 5-year-old 'Fuyu' trees grown in 50-L pots. Increasing the LPM application rate caused defoliation, wilting, and chlorosis in leaves. When applied with the rate of 3 L during summer, the tree produced small fruits with low soluble solids and bore few flower buds the following season, indicating insufficient nutritional status. In trees applied with the LPM rates of 6∼12 L, both fruit characteristics and aboveground growth of the trees appeared normal but some roots were injured. However, application of higher LPM rates than 27 L resulted in small size, poor coloration, or flesh softening of the fruits the current season. Furthermore, the high LPM rates caused severe cold injury in shoots during winter and weak shoot growth the following season. It was noted that the application of higher LPM rate than 9 L damaged the root, even though above-ground parts of the tree appeared to grow normally. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that an excessive immature LPM application could cause various injuries on leaves, fruits, and the roots in both the current and the following season.