Many trials to supply germanium to fruit have been carried out since tests have confirmed germanium's role as a medical substance. Supplying germanium in orchards by soil and foliar application was not effective because of loss from rainfall. In order to increase germanium absorption by fruit, this study carried out tree trunk injections during the growing season. Two types of germanium, GeO (inorganic type) and Ge-132 (organic type), in concentrations of 5, 10, 25, and 50 mg·L–1 were supplied to `Niitaka' pear trees by trunk injection (1.5 L/tree), four times at 15-day intervals from June 2004. The treatment with 50 mg·L–1 GeO showed decreased fruit weight, but 50 mg·L–1 Ge-132 showed no difference to the control and other treatments. Fruit lenticels were increased in size by all of the Ge treatments in comparison to control fruit. Soluble solids as well as Hunter value `a' of the fruits of all Ge treatments were higher than that of the control. Flesh browning after peeling the fruit was delayed by the germanium treatment, and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activities were lowered. Postharvest potentials were maintained at high levels for fruit firmness, physiological disorders, and decayed fruit during cold storage at 0 to 1 °C for 2 months.
Identification and Characterization of a Pear Chlorotic Leaf Spot-Associated Virus, a Novel Emaravirus Associated with a Severe Disease of Pear Trees in China