Everything you need to know about pear cultivation and harvest! Learn about: 1. Botany of Pear 2. Origin of Pear 3. Climate and Soil 4. Orchard Cultural Practices 5. Crop Regulation 6. Propagation and Rootstocks 7. Planting and Aftercare 8. Flowering and Fruiting 9. Training and Pruning 10. Harvesting and Handling 11. Diseases and Insect Pests 12. Varieties.
Botany of Pear:
The pear belongs to the genus Pyrus, of the family Rosaceae. Twenty two primary known species of genus Pyrus have been described.
The important species which are either grown for commercial cultivation or for raising rootstocks are given below:
i. Pyrus Communis L. – European Pear:
Trees are grows in upright manner. Bark light brown to grey in colour. Lenticels are present on the twigs. Young shoots are light brown in colour. Leaves small, ovate, 5-10 cm long, margin serrated, base obtuse, apex acuminate. Leaves are dark green above and light green under surface. It has persistent calyx, fleshy pedicels and pyriform shape in different form.
ii. Pyrus Pyrifolia (Burm F.)- Nakai, Var. Culta- Japanese or Chinese or Sand Pear:
Tree 9-10 metres in height, having spreading habit of growth. Bark light brown in colour with the presence of lenticels. Bark surface rough and splitted. Branches are in drooping habit.
Pubescence present on young shoots. Leaves mostly ovate, 10-15 cm long, margin crenate, base round, apex narrowly acuminate. Leaves are dark green above and light green below, midrib pale green. It has deciduous calyx, non-fleshy pedicel and fruit shape like that of apple.
iii. Pyrus Serotina Rehd- Shiara:
Shiara is a wild relative of pear and is widely used as rootstock. Tree 8-9 metres in height, spreading in nature. Leaves ovate, 8-10 cm long, pointed at the tip, medium in size. Spines long, stout and pointed. Leaf margin finely serrated. It has deciduous calyx and fruit shape like that of apple.
iv. Pyrus Pashia Hamilton- Kainth:
This species is commonly used for raising of rootstock. Trees having upright habit of growth, 9 metres in height. Branches are thicker than pear. Leaves elliptical, margin serrated, base and apex acute, 5-7 cm long. Spines present, long and pointed. Fruits about 1 inch long, sub-globose and brown. It is found wild in the Himalayas to Northern China.
v. Pyrus Communis X Pyrus Pyrifolia- Hybrid Pear:
Trees medium in vigour and spreading. Leaves medium in size, 8-10 cm long, heart-shaped, broader at the base and narrow towards the apex, upper surface glabrous, undersurface light green. Fruits small to medium is size and pyriform in shape with attractive greenish yellow-colour. Pear is a pome fruit and its edible portion is fleshly thalamus.
Origin of Pear:
Pears are the only temperature fruit grown to any extent on the hills in South India. Kashmir has the largest area. Some wild pear trees have been top-worked with the Bartlett variety in Kulu. Pears are cultivated at lower altitudes than apples their perishability is responsible for their limited cultivation.
The pear is similar to the apple in its cultivation requirements. The fruit is generally pyriform but round- fruited varieties are also found. The common cultivated pear (French pear), Pyrus communis, is highly susceptible to the fire blight disease. The oriental pear, Pyrus pyrifolia and allied species are resistant to this disease.
Most of the varieties are self-unfruitful and require pollinizers. The most important varieties of Kashmir are Bagu Gosha (Barlett or Williams Bon Chritien) and Gosh Baghu (Citron-des-Carmes). The latter is a late variety with a better keeping quality. The former is good for canning. Other important varieties are Conference and Winter Nelis. Kieffer is cultivated in the Kodaikanal area in South India.
It is a cross between the French pear and the oriental pear. A small fruited pear called Nakh is grown in Kashmir. The fruit is juicy, slightly sweet. However, Patharnatkh and soft pear varieties Leconte and Baghughosha are commercially grown in North Indian plains. In Patharnakh elite trees having large sized fruits, high yield and better fruit quality have been identifed in Punjab.
A hardy type called Nashpati is cultivated in the sub-montane areas of the Punjab and U.P. It bears a heavy crop of poor quality fruit and does not require cross- pollination. Some small fruited varieties like the China in Himachal Pradesh and Chusni (Thumb pear) in the Kumaon Hills come to the market as early as June. Beaurre Hardy and Louis Bon jersey are good quality varieties grown above 1,700 metres in South India.
Soft flesh selections of pear made in Punjab by PAU, Ludhiana are Red Blush (high yield and T.S.S 15.1° Brix), Punjab Nectar (high yield and very juicy), Punjab Gold (large fruits of good quality) and Punjab Beauty which has upright growth, moderate vigour, precocious regular bearing and good yield. Fruit medium sized, firm, becomes less gritty when mature and mellowed when ripe, maturity 3rd week of July
The root-stocks generally used for pear are the wild Himalayan pears, Pyrus pashia, P. Pyrifolia and P. Khasiana. Pear requires a little more nitrogen than apple, but it is generally grown in poor soils. The trees tend to produce many dense upright branches. The main consideration in its pruning and training is to thin out dense central branches and encourage lateral growth.
The modified central leader system is the best method for restricting the tree size and regulating the crop load and fruit quality. Removal of old spurs is necessary to accelerate the development of new spurs which bear fruits.
It has been recommended that 25 g N, 15 g P and 25 g potash in first year and an increase in dose in subsequent years upto the age of 20 years and repetition of the 20th year dose in every year thereafter.
Under South Indian conditions a higher yield (58.2 kg/ tree) in country pear with the application of 600 g N, 150 g P and 300 K per tree has been attained.
The fruit of the pear is highly perishable and is picked when still green and hard. However, late varieties should not be picked too early; otherwise the fruit shrivels and fails to develop proper flavour. It ripens at a higher temperature than apple. It also requires less fruit-thinning than apple. Generally, no thinning is done in India. The bearing life of the trees in India is about 60 years. Flying foxes cause considerable damage to the fruit.
Under the Agmark scheme, the fruit of the Bartlett variety is graded into extra-large (2¾ A” diameter), large (2½”),’ medium (2¼”) and small (2″).
Another pome fruit grown only in Kashmir is the quince (Cydonia oblonga). It has an apple-like yellow fruit, which is ribbed and has a hairy surface and many seeds. It is used for medicinal purposes.
Climate and Soil Required for Pear Cultivation:
In India pear cultivation is mainly confined to the temperate Himalayan Mountains at 1700 – 2400 MSL. This condition is ideal to grow a large number of European and Japanese/ oriental pears.
Pear can be grown successfully in mid-hills at an elevation of 1,200 to 1,800 metres above sea level, where mean maximum temperature of 15°C-25°C in winter and 20°-32°C in summer and minimum temperature of 2-10°C in winter and 10-18°C during summer prevail. Large number of pear cultivars require 900-1200 hours below 7°C during winter to complete their chilling requirement in order to flower and fruit satisfactorily. Bartlett pear has a chilling requirement of about 1500 hours.
An annual rainfall of 100-125 cm is considered adequate. The best flavour and keeping quality in Bartlett pear develops in locations where summers are fairly hot and dry. Cool nights (10°C) during a month before harvest cause softening and premature ripening of this cultivar, thus impairing fruit size and quality.
Patharnakh pear is a very hardy tree and can be successfully grown in the sub-tropical climate prevailing in the Punjab and Haryana States. The sub-montane tract as well as the central part of the Punjab State have been found to be quite suitable for its cultivation. It can also be successfully grown in the Bet area. This cultivar require 200 to 300 chilling hours and can withstand high temperature and hot winds during the summer. Being deciduous in habit, it escapes damage from frost.
However, care must be taken to plant pear orchards in frost free locations. The absence of rains during flowering period is one of the pre-requisites for the successful cultivation of pear. Rain at flowering not only washes away the pollen but also interferes with the activity of pollinating insects, thus adversely affecting fruit-set. Areas exposed to excessively hot winds during summer also have an adverse effect both on fruit and foliage.
Site and Soil:
Site has a decisive influence on regular cropping. In plains the pear orchards should be at a distance from Eucalyptus plantations so as to save the fruit from bird damage. The site should be such from where excess of rain water should not stagnate for long, which may cause heavy mortalities. Pear should be grown on a land which is at a slightly higher level than the surrounding area to reduce the chances of damage by frost.
It can grow well on a wide variety of soils provided these are well drained. The pear tree is hardy and can flourish even on rather inferior lands with relatively less care. It can tolerate water logged conditions to some extent, however, the areas frequented by floods and where the water stagnates for many days during the rainy season should never be selected for pear growing. The most desirable soil for pear is one which is of medium texture, deep, well drained and has a water table below 200 cm around the year.
Pear trees are short lived on sandy and loam soils. A neutral pH range of 6.0-7.5 is desirable because iron deficiency is encountered on highly alkaline soils. It can grow on soils having pH upto 8.7, if the electrical conductivity of the soil is below 0.5 mmhos/cm. Highly fertile soils very rich in nitrogen are not suitable for pear growing as they increase the incidence of psylla and fire blight.
Orchard Cultural Practices for Cultivating Pear:
i. Irrigation:
Water is needed during summer months, which is the active growing period and when young fruits are developing. Shortage of water during the month of April, May and June restricts the tree growth and leads to the formation of hard and small fruits of poor quality. During summer months pear should be irrigated at an interval of 5-7 days depending upon the soil conditions. Plants should be irrigated after 15 days interval in August and September. No irrigation should be given in January.
Bearing trees should be irrigated through flood method during summer months at an interval of 5 to 7 days so that fruit size may be increased. Irrigation is not required during rainy season. As regards the colour composition, dessert and keeping quality of fruits, neither too little nor too much water is needed. If the plants suffer from extreme water deficiency, the fruits may lack colour, become tough and somewhat meaty without the crispness of fruits, having a higher water content.
When water is excessive, the colour may again become less attractive and the keeping quality deteriorates. Under relatively dry conditions fruits develop higher acidity and better flavour. After harvesting of fruits in August, the trees should be irrigated at an interval of 20 days or so upto the end of October. After this no irrigation may be given till January.
ii. Intercropping:
Judicious intercropping not only gives good income from the land, but also maintains its productivity at a high level and keep down the weeds. Intercrops like moong, mash and toria can be grown during Kharif season, while wheat, peas, grams and senji may be grown during rabi season in young and rejuvenated peas orchards to get some income during the non- bearing period. Even in bearing orchards crops like peas, grams, senji can be grown during rabi while moong, mash and sunflower during kharif. Additional dose of fertilizers should be given for intercrops.
Some fruit plants such as peach, plum, papaya, and phalsa may also be interplanted as fillers. However, the fillers must be removed when the pear trees come into bearing. Additional doses of the fertilizers should be added to filler trees according to their requirements, so that they do not compete for nutrients with the permanent trees. It should be kept in mind that once the peaches are planted as fillers, no intercropping with crops like berseem, patato, tomato, etc. should be done during the rabi or kharif seasons.
Otherwise the peaches as fillers or the main pear plants may suffer from the slaught of root rot or any other devastating disease, because of the excessive watering to the intercrops, which is not required at any cost by the deciduous trees due to dormant condition in winter months.
iii. Soil Management:
Cover Crops:
It refers to planting an intercrop in a pear orchard for providing cover to soil surface. These crops are usually cut and mulched or mixed into the soil. These are useful as provide cover to the soil during winter and prevent erosion during heavy rains. Soil cover keeps the soil warm in winter and cool in summer. Peas, beans, soybean, cowpeas, lentil and sumhemp are the suitable cover crops.
Mulching:
Under rainfed conditions, where water scarcity restrict severely the growth and yield of the trees, mulching is often used to conserve moisture which helps in checking weeds, erosion and temperature fluctuation in pear orchards. Black polythene as mulch increases the yield of pear by 14 per cent over the clean cultivation.
iv. Weed Control:
Weeds can be effectively controlled by spraying the herbicides namely hexuron or glycel or gramoxone. Spray hexuron 80 WP (diuron) at 4.0 kg/hectare as pre-emergence (first fortnight of March) after thorough cultivation so as to remove the established growing weeds/plant debris. Gylcel 41 SL (glyphosate) at 3 litres/hectare or gramoxone 24 WSC (paraquat at 3 litres/hectare should be sprayed as post- emergence when the weeds are growing actively and to a height of 15-20 cm.
Dissolve the herbicides in 500 litres of water per hectare so as to give a thorough coverage to the field/weeds. In case there is emergence of weeds during/after rainy season, another spray of glycel/gramoxone at the same rate may be done. Spray glycel/gramoxone during calm day so as to avoid spray drift to the foliage of the fruit tree.
v. Manuring and Fertilization:
Pear trees should be adequately manured and fertilized so that they may make good vegetative growth and bear better crops of high quality fruit.
Under sub-tropical conditions of Punjab, the entire dose of farmyard manure, superphosphate and muriate of potash is added in December. Half of nitrogen is added in early February before flowering and the other half in April after the fruit-set.
To full grown plants of Punjab Beauty, a supplemental dose of urea @ 500 g is given in September in addition to recommended fertilizer doses to get better fruit size and higher yield. In hills, 60 – 100 kg FYM, 700 N and K2O each and 350 g P2O5 is given to ten years old plants.
Crop Regulation:
Normally pear trees come into bearing at the age of six to seven years. Pear trees tend to overbear, resulting in smaller fruits. The number of fruits a tree will carry and develop to good marketable size varies with its vigour and growth conditions. One fruit per cluster may be retained after thinning. This operation should be performed soon after the occurrence of the natural fruit drop in the middle of April. In each of the commercial varieties nearly 30 to 40 leaves per fruit are essential for building materials that go to make fruit.
Many of the fruiting spurs are lost as a result of fruit harvesting with the help of hooks or downward pull of the fruit with hand. Hence a little or no fruit is set for the subsequent crop. To compensate this loss, the fruit set can be increased by spraying 20 ppm of Gibberellic acid at full-bloom stage. To check spur breakage harvesting should be done with hand. The use of hooks should be avoided. The fruit should be pushed with a little force towards the base of the spur by using the right hand and holding the spur with the left hand. Saving the spurs from breakage during fruit harvesting helps regular fruiting throughout the life of the pear tree.
Quality Improvement:
Foliar application of KNO3 @ 1.5 per cent after full bloom improves fruit yield and quality of Patharnakh pear.
Propagation and Rootstocks of Pear:
The pear plants are raised on Kainth (Pyrus pashia), or rootsuckers (Batank) of Pyrus pyrifolia or Shiara (Pyrus serotina) or Quince A (Pyrus ussuriensis).
The Patharnakh pear plants are raised both by budding and grafting on pear suckers and Kainth seedlings. Of the various methods of grafting tongue and cleft graftings are the most common ones for pear propagation. When the scion and stock are of equal thickness, tongue grafting can be successfully employed, whereas when the stock is thicker than the scion, cleft grafting may be practised. Tongue and cleft grafting are performed during December-January, when the plants are still dormant. T- Budding is also practiced from May to July. Pear plants can also be propagated through hard-wood cuttings.
Raising of Rootstocks from Kainth (Pyrus Pashia) Seed:
Fully mature fruits of Kainth are collected in September or first week of October. These fruits are dumped for softening and easy extraction of seed. The seeds need stratification before they are sown in the field or on raised nursery bed. The seeds of Kainth have a period of rest which should be broken by low temperature. The seeds are placed in moist sand in wooden boxes in layers one above the other during October or November.
The sand is kept moist. The seeds are kept in the stratifying medium till the upper most layer of seeds pushes the sand upward and protrudes the radicle. The stratification is completed in about a month. The seeds germinate in 10 – 12 days. The sprouted seeds should be sown in the nursery beds in January at a distance of 15 cm in rows 30 cm apart, immediately. The seeds start germinating within 10 days. One month old seedlings are planted in nursery at a distance of 10 x 60 cm. These seedlings become buddable in May- June or can be graftable in January next year.
Sowing Seeds on Raised Beds:
The Kainth seed is also sown on raised beds during November-December. The stratification of seed on these beds is completed by natural process and the seedlings come out in about two months. These seedlings are allowed to grow on raised beds for about a year and transplanted in the nursery in the following January. The distance from seedling to seedling and row-to-row is kept 15cm and 30cm, respectively. These seedlings become buddable during August-September and graftable in December-January.
Raising of Kainth Rootstock without Stratification:
The seeds extracted from mature fruits in last week of September or first week of October can be sown directly. Freshly extracted seeds should be placed in moist sand in wooden boxes for germination. The seeds germinate in 10-12 days. These seedlings are planted in the field in lines at 10 cm apart leaving 60 cm space after every four lines at 2 to 4 leaves stage. These seedlings become buddable in May-June or can be grafted in December-January.
Clonal Propagation of Kainth:
The rootstock raised from Kainth seed is not uniform in growth and vigour and takes two years for the seedlings to become buddable or graftable. Therefore, clonal propagation of Kainth becomes essential to get uniform and ture- to-type rootstocks. For raising clonal rootstock, hard-wood cuttings have been found to be suitable method of propagation. The rootstock raised from cuttings become graftable after one year, thus, one year is saved as compared to raising of Kainth seedlings.
Raising of Rootstock from Pear Suckers (Pyrus Pyrifolia):
This rootstock is widely used in Punjab for propagating pear. The rootsuckers (Batankan) are collected from the underneath of old pear trees during November-December. These are headed back leaving two to three buds from the ground level and planted 10 cm in rows 30 cm apart leaving 60 cm space after every two rows. Out of the newly emerged shoots, single healthy shoot is retained which become buddable during August-September. Those suckers which do not become buddable during August-September are grafted in the following December-January with the scion cultivars. The pear suckers which have well developed root system can be bench-grafted and directly planted in the nursery field at the above mentioned distances.
Raising of Plants through Cuttings:
The pear plants can also be raised through hardwood cuttings. The cuttings are prepared from juvenile shoots during December. The cuttings are kept for callusing for about a month and are planted in the nursery field at a distance of 10 cm apart in rows 30 cm apart. Treating the cuttings with 100 ppm IBA for 24 hours prior to callusing gives better rooting success. The nursery fields are constantly kept moist with frequent and light irrigations. Flooding of the nursery should be avoided. The cuttings of Kainth are also prepared and treated with IBA100 ppm for 24 hours to raise clonal rootstock. These are later budded or grafted.
Clonal Rootstock of Quince A:
Quince A is most commonly used clonal rootstock producing trees 50 – 60 percent of the standard size. However, this rootstock has poor compatibility with most of the commercial cultivars. Incompatibility can be overcome by double grafting with Old home or hardy varieties. Mound layering is generally done to propagate this rootstock clonally.
Planting and Aftercare of Pear:
The best time for planting pear trees is from mid-January to first fortnight of February before they start new growth. One year old, healthy and vigorous plants should be used for planting. Older plants of 2-3 years age can also be planted with good success. Before the plants are put in the field, the orchard site should be properly laid out. The trees may be planted at a distance of about 7.5 metres apart by which 180 plants are accommodated in one hectare by the square system of planting. The pear may also be planted by the hexagonal system by which 207 plants are accommodated in one hectare.
Pear can also be planted at 5 x 5 m distance. Using quince rootstock, high density of planting in pear has been attempted. Planting distance of 3 – 3.5 X 1.2 m on Quince MA has been recommended for cv William’s.
The pear cv. Patharnakh can be planted at 8 X 4 m distance and the trees are trained by bending of main scaffolds and two secondary. This also helps in reducing juvenility by two year. Soft pear can be planted at 6m x 6m by which 275 plants are accommodated in one hectare.
Basins should be prepared immediately after planting. The level of soil near the trunk should be kept slightly higher than the level of basins so that water may not come in direct contact of the trunk. Irrigation should be given immediately after planting so that soil may settle down properly around the roots. After two or three days, second irrigation should be given. Subsequent irrigations should be given as and when required. The irrigation interval upto March may be 15-20 days, but later on as the season warms up the interval may be reduced to 10-12 days upto June.
Irrigation during rainy season is not required. The trunk of young plants should be white washed once in March, again in May and then in the rainy season to avoid injury from sun-burn and to prevent cracking of bark. Farmyard manure should be mixed in the basins at the rate of 20 kg per tree in January-February. Irrigation should be applied immediately after it is thoroughly mixed in the basins.
To check the attack of white ants, the trees should be given chlorpyriphos 2 ml per litre of water once in April and then after rains. The surplus shoots not required for building the framework of the trees should be removed. The shoots appearing on the rootstock should also be removed; otherwise they will have an adverse effect on the growth of plants. Trees should be protected from insect and pests by following the proper spraying schedule.
Flowering and Fruiting in Pear Trees:
The flowers are epigenous and the ovary is inferior. The type of inflorescence in pear is Corymb. In common pear, the flowers are 4-12 in umbel-like clusters on slender pedicels, white, appearing with the leaves, calyx persistent or rarely deciduous, stamens 15-20.
Flowers of Patharnakh pear are white, 3 cm or more across, 4-12 together on slender pedicels, appearing with the first foliage. The flowering starts in the last week of February and continues upto third week of March. The fruit is borne on spurs. It is pollinated through insects. The pollen is highly viable.
The pear cultivars grown in the plains of Northern India are self-fruitful or partially self- fruitful. Patharnakh which occupies about 90 per cent of the area under pear in the Punjab, usually give commercial crop when planted in solid blocks.
The cultivars like ‘LeConte’, ‘Baggugosha’, ‘Smith’ and ‘Kieffer’ will give commercial crops, only when atleast two of these are planted together. Honey-bees usually prefer flowers of other plants to those of pears. This is due to the fact that pear flowers provide a relatively small quantity of nectar which is low in sugar content. In orchards where heavier fruit-set is desired, two or three colonies of bees per acre should be provided.
Fruit-setting in pear starts by end of March. The fruit is borne on spurs. The fruit (Patharnakh) reaches harvest maturity after 155 days of fruit-set. The fruit growth in terms of length and diameter shows three distinct phases and follows a pattern of “Sigmoid Curve”.
Training and Pruning of Pear:
Proper training and pruning of pear trees is essential for the development of proper framework and to control the size of the tree for the convenience of horticultural operations, to maintain the vigour and growth of the tree, to spread the fruiting area uniformly on the tree, to secure fruit of good size and quality and to encourage regular bearing. Pear trees can be trained according to modified leader system, free standing, pyramid, spindle bush, palmette and tatura trellis. For high density planting, tatura trellis system of training is followed. Pear trees are usually trained according to the ‘Modified Leader System’.
Training in the First Year:
In low-headed trees, the lowest branch is allowed to develop upto a height of 60 cm and accordingly top the plant is cut at about 90 cm. If high-headed trees are required, then the plant should be headed back at a height of 1.2 to 1.5 metres.
Training in Second Year:
The top most shoot in the centre is left as the leader but is cut back where immature portion starts. Three is five laterals (main scaffold branches), spaced at a distance of 15 to 22 cm from each other are kept in different directions. It is advantageous if these laterals are bent downward by tying with rope or thick thread to the ground. The tying of these laterals will encourage the development of secondaries.
Training in Third Year Old Trees:
The laterals left at the end of second season’s growth will branch off to form new laterals, one or two of which should be selected to form the secondary scaffolds framework. The laterals should be headed back to encourage sprouting of buds to develop tertiary branches.
Training in Fourth-Fifth Year Old Trees:
The unwanted secondary/tertiary branches should be removed. The leader should now be cut back to a well-placed, outward going lateral.
Pruning of Young Bearing Trees:
The pear trees bear fruit on shoots of limited growth which are called spurs. These spurs make only a few millimetres growth every year and bear fruit for 8-10 years. Therefore, the pruning of young trees is only of corrective type for the first 10 years. Diseased, dried and embracing branches should only be removed. Severe pruning should not be done during this period which would lead to the loss of fruiting spurs. Care should also be taken to avoid the injury to the spurs during harvesting of fruit.
Pruning of Older Trees:
The older trees need renewing and invigorating the bearing wood of the trees. This is accomplished by thinning out the bigger branches entirely. This helps opening up the trees for more light for better colour. The process of renewal is completed in stages in 3 or 4 years. The trees again develop new fruiting spurs which bear fruit for another period of 10 years. The pruning of pear should be done in January to early February.
The Patharnakh pear trees should be pruned at the height of 2.5 m for better quality and fruit production. For this closer spacing of 4m x 4m should be done. Bordeaux paste should be applied after pruning of plants.
Rejuvenation of Old Pear Orchards:
Pear trees tend to become less productive at an age of about 20 years. Production on such trees can be restored by rejuvenating them. It can be achieved by heading back the 3-4 main scaffolds to about 15 cm during December-January. The rest scaffolds should be completely removed. Paint the cut ends with Bordeaux paint. Many sprouts shall emerge on these stubs in March. In May, retain only one to two outgoing shoots on each stub with a total of 6 to 8 shoots per tree. Rejuvenated trees start fruiting in third year and bear commercial crop in the fifth year.
Harvesting and Handling of Pear:
Harvesting:
Pear is climacteric fruit which ripens on the tree as well as after harvesting. Harvesting of the pear fruit at proper stage of maturity is very important. The criteria for maturity of pear fruits are change in external fruit colour, decrease in firmness of the fruit flesh and increase in the total soluble solids (TSS) content. Lenticels of the fruit turn brown on maturity.
The fruit of Baggugosha, Punjab Beauty Punjab Nectar and Punjab Gold reaches harvest maturity after 140 days and of Patharnakh after 150 days of fruit-set. The size and weight of the fruit continued to increase till harvest in August. The colour of the fruit changes to light yellow at the final stage of harvest. The optimum harvesting time of pear cultivars is from July to August.
Pre-harvest sprays of ethephon at 100-300 ppm hasten maturity of fruits by two weeks. Most pear cultivars ripen and develop best dessert quality at 15.6-21°C and RH 80-85%.
The fruit should be picked carefully without any bruises and injuries. Care should be exercised during picking so that the fruit bearing spurs do not get damaged. Once the spurs are broken or damaged, that will take long time to become fruit-bearing spurs again and will ultimately affect the fruit yield in the coming bearing seasons.
For distant markets the fruit should be picked when it is still in a hard ripe stage and without injury and bruises. A small stalk (button) should be kept with the fruit to avoid fruits rot, due to fungus, in storage.
After harvesting, pear fruits are cooled to a temperature – 0.6 to – 1.6°C to remove field heat and arrest ripening. Pre-cooling enhance the shelf-life of fruits. Hydro-cooling reduces the incidence or shriveling and brown core without affecting weight loss or incidence of rot.
The average yield of hard pear varieties like Patharnakh and Punjab Nakh ranges from 150 – 190 kg per tree. A well-managed pear orchard under subtropical condition normally yields around 20 – 30 tonnes/ha. The different semi-soft and soft varieties yields 80 – 90 kg fruits per plant.
Ripening:
For improving ripening and eating quality of Punjab Beauty fruits should be chilled at 0°C and ripened at 20°C for 3 days. The fruits of Patharnakh should be chilled at 0°C for 3 days and ripen at 20°C for 4 days. For proper ripening and improving quality of pear, fruits should be treated with 100° ppm ethephon for 3-4 minutes or exposed to 100 ppm ethylene gas for 24 hours and stored at 20°C. The fruits of Patharnakh would be ready in 8 days and of Punjab Beauty in 4 days.
Grading and Packing:
The fruits should be carefully sorted and graded before sending to markets. In this way, the consumer gets the quality of his choices, while the fruit grower earns a premium for his product. Sand pear fruits can be categorised into four grades and specified as A, B, C and D grades. Highest distribution is found in B grade (46%) followed by C grade (30%) and A grade (14%). The fruits belong to grade A and B which accounted for 60 per cent are more acceptable to the consumers.
When the fruit is to be dispatched to distant places, it is generally packed in wooden boxes. For sending the fruit to short distances, baskets and CPB cartons are largely employed. The base of the wooden box is given thick layer of dried grass.
A sheet of paper is then spread to cover the grass as well as the sides of the box. The fruit is arranged in the box in layers. The upper most layers is covered with paper. It is then followed by layer of dried grass. Then, the lid is closed with the help of nails.
Shelf Life:
Patharnakh and other standard varieties keep well in cold storage if properly handled. The fruits of Patharnakh and Baggugogha pear can be stored for 90 days and 45-50 days, respectively at 0- 3.3°C temperature with 85-90 per cent relative humidity after packing them in polythene bags.
The fruits of Patharnakh, Punjab Beauty and Punjab Nakh can be stored at 0 to 1°C with RH 90 – 95 per cent for 60 days. The fruits of Patharnakh have post storage life of 2 days at room temperature and 4-6 days in refrigerator, whereas post storage life of Punjab Beauty is 1 – 2 days at room temperature and 4 days in refrigerator.
The fruits of Punjab Soft and Nijisseiki can be stored at same conditions for 4 weeks. Pear fruits have excellent storage potential in CA storage at temp 0-5°C (2-3% oxygen and 0-1% CO2). Brown heart and soft scald are the disorders occur during CA storage.
The pear fruits particularly those of Patharnakh variety have a long post-harvest life and unique shipping quality and can be transported to distant markets like Bombay, Calcutta, etc. This quality alone has encouraged several growers to take up pear cultivation, especially in the far-flung areas.
Diseases and Insect Pests of Pear:
The common diseases of apple and pear are:
(i) Black rot canker and leaf spot caused by Sphaeropsis malorum, which can be controlled by spraying the trees with lime-sulphur (1 : 60) or Bordeaux mixture ( 4 : 5 : 50).
(ii) Stem brown caused by Botryosphaeria dothidia, which can be controlled by destroying the diseased branches and applying Bordeaux paste to the cut surfaces.
(iii) Stem black caused by Coniothecium chomatosporum, which can be controlled by pre-bloom spray of lime sulphur (1: 60 dilutions), starting at the dormant stage and continuing the same at fortnightly intervals throughout the blossoming period.
(iv) Bitter rot caused by Glomerella cingulata, which can be controlled by removing the affected fruits and cankered branches and spraying with Bordeaux mixture (4:5: 50).
(v) Scab caused by Venturia inaequalis, which can be controlled by same method as in the case of (iii) above.
(vi) Powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera leucotricha, which can be controlled by removing the affected fruits and cankered branches and spraying with Bordeaux mixture.
(vii) Rubbery wood caused by Mycoplasma, which can be controlled by using certified virus-free bud-wood and also by hot-water treatment of affected bud-wood at 50C for 15 minutes.
(viii) Star crack.
(ix) Mosaic, both are caused by virus, which can be controlled by the same method as adopted in the case of Rubbery wood.
The common insect pests of apple are:
(i) San Jose Scale (Qudraspidiotus perniciosus), which can be controlled by spraying dormant trees in winter with 3% Miscible oil @ 6-8 litres per tree and by using 0.04% Diazinon as summer spray.
(ii) Woolly Aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum), which can be controlled by using resistant varieties and by spraying aerial parts of the tree with 0.03% Dimethoate or Monocrotophos during spring and summer, and for root forms, by giving soil application (80-100 mm deep) of Dimethoate or the Thiodemeton granules.
(iii) Root borer (Dorysthenes hugelli), which can be controlled by avoiding dry sandy soils for plantation of the tree and applying 5% Aldrin dust @ 200-300 g per tree soon after monsoon.
(iv) Tent caterpillar (Malacosoma indicum), which can be controlled by removing and destroying egg-rings during pruning and by destroying web tents mechanically or by spraying them heavily with 0.5% DDT.
(v) Apple blossom thrip (Taeniothrips rhopalantennalis), which can be controlled by spraying 0.03% Phosphamidan, Dimethoate or Monocrotophos a week before the opening of flowers.
(vi) Apple leaf rollers (Cacoecia sarcosttega, C. epicyota, C pomivora, C termias and C. subsidiaria), which can be controlled by destroying rolled leaves and webbed flowers and spraying 0.05% Fenitrothion or 0.03% Endosulfan.
(vii) Apple leaf miner (Gracillaria zachrysa), which can be controlled by heavily pruning affected parts and burning them, and by spraying neem-cake suspension or 0.04% Phosphamidon or Monocrotophos.
(viii) Blossom thrip (Taeniothrips rhopalantennalis), which can be controlled by spraying 0.04% Monocrotophos, Diazinon or Phosphamidon.
(ix) Hairy caterpillars (Euproctis signata, E.fraterna and E.flava), which can be controlled by dusting 10% BHC.
The common insect pests of pear are:
(i) Aphids (Brachycaudus helichrysi, Myzus persicae), which can be controlled by spraying 0.03% Phosphamidon, Dimethbate or Diazinon.
(ii) San Jose Scale (Quadriaspidiotus perniciosus), which can be controlled as in the case of apple.
(iii) Hairy caterpillar (Euproctis fraterna), which can be controlled as in the case of apple.
(iv) Fruit flies (Dacas dorsalis, D. correctus, D. duplicatus), which can be controlled by destroying all fallen fruits an spraying trees and hedges and also other plants in the vicinity with 0.1% BHC + 0.1% DDT.
Varieties of Pear:
Pear varieties grown in India are grouped into three categories i.e. European pear, Asian or Japanese pear and Hybrid pear.
The following varieties are grown in pear growing state:
1. Kashmir Valley:
Kings Pear, Vicar of Winkfield, Red Bartlett, China Pear, Fertility, Williams, Starking Delicious, Bertlett, Conference, Cornice, Hardy, Clapp’s favourite, Winter Nelis, Flemish Beauty, Chinese Sandy Pear (Nakh Kashmiri).
2. Himachal Pradesh:
(A) High Hills:
Early Varieties- Early China, Laxton’s Superb
Mid-Season Varieties- Bartlett, Red Bartlett, Max-Red Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Starkrimson
Late Varieties- Conference, Kashmiri Pear, Doyenne-du-Comice.
(B) Mid, Low Hills and Valley Areas:
Patharnakh, Kieffer, China Pear, Punjab Beauty
3. Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh:
(A) High Hills:
Max-Red Bartlett, William Bartlett, Winter Nelis, Hardy, Clapp’s Favourite, Conference, Flemish Beauty, Cornice
(B) Lower Hills and Plains:
Patharnakh, LeConte, Gola, Punjab Beauty
4. Punjab:
(A) Hard Pear:
Punjab Nakh, Patharnakh
(B) Semi Soft Pear:
Punjab Gold, Punjab Nectar, Punjab Beauty, Baggugosha
(C) Soft Pear:
Nijisseiki, Punjab Soft