Many trials to supply selenium to fruit have been carried out since tests have confirmed selenium's role as a medical substance. Supplying selenium in orchards by soil and foliar application was not effective because of loss from rainfall. In order to increase selenium absorption by fruit, this study carried out tree trunk injections during the growing season. Selenium solutions in concentrations of 5, 10, 25, and 50 mg·L–1 were supplied to `Niitaka' pear (Pyruspyrifolia) trees by trunk injection (1.5 L/tree) four times at 15-day intervals from June 2004. The treatment with 50 mg·L–1 selenium showed necrosis symptoms at leaf-margins after secondary treatment and toxicity as abnormally red fruit skin color. Fruit weight and leaf area were decreased by selenium treatments, while severe symptoms appeared with higher selenium concentrations. Hunter values `a' and `b' in fruit skin color were increased by selenium treatment in comparison to the control. The selenium treatment showed lower soluble solids by as much as 1.2%, and higher fruit firmness. Selenium concentration in pear fruit was increased by trunk injection with a 5 mg·L–1 solution. The bound selenium in pear fruit after 3 months of storage in cold room conditions was very high, but free selenium was low.

The shells of crab, shrimp, beetles, etc., could be decomposed by chitinase to chitin, calcium, and protein, respectively. We incubated the mixture solution of 1.5 kg crab shell, 1.5 kg multinutrient, 2 kg compost with microorganisms to decompose the chitin substance, 3 kg sugar, and 700 L water at room temperature for 7 days. During the incubation, aeration with an air pump was essential. We sprayed the chitin-incubated solution (CIS) after filtering to `Niitaka' pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) trees at 15-day intervals from May to Sept. 2004. Leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf specific weight, and chlorophyll contents were increased by the treatment with CIS. In fruit characteristics, fruit weight, soluble solids, fruit firmness, and Hunter values “a” and “b”were increased by the CIS treatment. Flesh browning after peeling the fruit was delayed by the CIS treatment, and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activities were lowered.

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Although fruits obtained by organic cultivation (OC) have been believed to be healthier than those by conventional cultivation (CC), but clear experimental evidences supporting the assumption are still lacking. Therefore this study was carried out to investigate the effects of OC on total polyphenol content and anti-oxidant activity in `Hongro' apples (Malus domestica). Anthocyanin content of fruit skin was increased in apples from OC. Soluble solid content and pH of apple juice was higher in the OC than in the CC, but total acidity in fruit juice showed reversed result. Also, chlorophyll content showed no difference between OC and CC. Total polyphenol compounds extracted with methanol, were higher in the OC than in the CC, and also higher in peel than in flesh. Also, anti-oxidant activity estimated by free radical scavenging effect showed significantly stronger under the OC than the CC.

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