Variations in Fruit Ripening Time, Fruit Weight and Soluble Solids Content of Oriental Persimmon Cultivars Native to Japan

Abstract

SummaryOne hundred and eighty-eight cultivars of oriental persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) native to Japan were evaluated for fruit ripening time (FRT), fruit weight (FW), and soluble solids content (SSC). A high heritability for each of these traits was conserved in this population; the overall mean and SD of FRT, FW and SSC were early to mid-November and 15 days, 200 g and 72 g, and 17.0% and 1.7%, respectively. Subgroups of PCA (pollination constant-astringent) and PVNA (pollination variant-nonastringent) showed wide variations for each trait. As to mean values, the PVNA group had slightly earlier FRT and higher SSC than the PCA group but their FW were similar. PCNA (pollination constant-nonastringent) group showed the latest FRT and the SSC was intermediate between those of PCA and PVNA groups; whereas, PVA (pollination variant-astringent) had the earliest FRT with the lowest SSC. The PCNA and PVA groups had larger fruits than the PCA and PVNA groups. Variations in FRT and SSC of PCNA were characteristically small, which suggest that these cultivars evolved later than the others.There is a weak, negative correlation between FW and SSC and a weak, positive one between FRT and FW. The percentage of early ripening cultivars was higher in cultivars which originated in the northern areas of Japan in contrast to those developed in southern regions.

Persimmon breeding in Japan for pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA) type with marker-assisted selection

“…There are many local varieties of both PV types (PVNA and PVA) in Japan (Agricultural Research Station 1912, Yamada et al 1994a. In contrast, PV types are rarely found in Korea (Cho andCho 1965, Kikuchi 1948) and not at all in China (Wang 1982), indicating that the PV trait is of Japanese origin.…”

“…Therefore, PVNA does not have a long history compared with that of the astringent cultivars. However, the PVNA local cultivars in Japan show wide variation, comparable to that of the PCA cultivars, and are distributed throughout the country, suggesting rapid development and dissemination of PVNA cultivars (Yamada et al 1994a). PVNA offspring are commonly found among the open-pollinated seeds of PVNA genotypes (Ikeda et al 1985).…”

“…PVNA offspring are commonly found among the open-pollinated seeds of PVNA genotypes (Ikeda et al 1985). These open-pollinated chance seedlings may have contributed to the rapid development of PVNA cultivars (Yamada et al 1994a).…”

Comparisons in the Variations in Fruit Maturing Time, Fruit Weight, and Soluble Solids Content of Oriental Persimmon Cultivars of Chinese.

“…However, this group has a variation similar to that of the PCA group and distributes all over the country, suggesting a rapid development and dissemination (Yamada et al, 1994b).…”

Variation in the Performance of Fruit Maturing Time, Fruit Weight, and Soluble Solids Content in Oriental Persimmon Grown at Akitsu, Japan and Meixian, China.

“…originated in eastern Asia, and has been mainly grown in China, Japan, and Korea, where many indigenous cultivars have been developed and grown. There seem to be wide variations in cultivars, both in China which has the longest history of persimmon cultivation, and Japan where Yamada et al (1994c). Each cultivar was evaluated once with an annual repetition and the data adjusted for yearly fluctuation according to Yamada et al (1994c) because FW and SSC normally fluctuate (Yamada et al, 1994a).…”