Abstract:
PREFACE
The papers in this volume were presented at the International Symposium on Asian Pears Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of ‘Nijisseiki’ Pear, held in Kurayoshi, Tottori, Japan, during 25-29 August, 2001. Although several international symposia have been held on pears in general, mainly on European pears, this is the first international symposium specializing in Asian pears which include more than 10 species represented by Japanese pears (Pyrus pyrifolia), Chinese sand pears (P. pyrifolia), Chinese white pears (P. bretschneideri), Ussurian pears (P. ussuriensis) etc. Thus, the volume covers almost all aspects of Asian pears such as Genetics and Breeding, Physiology including dormancy, incompatibility, growth and development and postharvest, Cultural Practices, and Disease and Pests.
Emphasis was put on molecular biological approach.
The papers were presented from the 14 countries covering not only Asia but Europe, America and Oceania.
Also included are the papers on Asian pear in the world to give a reader an overview on the industry and research of Asian pears.
Plenary paper by D. Deckers deals with European pears industry as a whole, while another plenary paper by Y. Katayama introduces the past, present and future of Nijisseiki pear in Tottori, the main producing area.
Particularly important is the fact that Nijisseiki plays a major role in the breeding programs as the breeding parent not only in Japan but in China and Korea and quite a few new cultivars released from these countries contain germplasm from Nijisseiki.
Therefore, it is very appropriate that the symposium was held commemorating the 100th anniversary of Nijisseiki.
All the papers have gone through peer-review process, read by at least two reviewers. The authors have been required to meet scholarly standards appropriate to the subject and type of the presentation.
The editorial board wishes to thank the authors for their cooperation and understanding.
The frequent use of e-mail enabled to communicate easily and promptly.
We hope that the information in this volume will be useful for further advancements in Asian pears, both Industry and Research.
S. Iwahori, Editor-in-Chief
PREFACE
This volume of Acta Horticulturae is the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Asian Pears Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of ‘Nijisseiki’ Pear.
Invited and keynote speakers and selected authors of offered oral papers and posters had the opportunity to submit their manuscripts for publication in this volume of the series Acta Horticulturae.
Submitted manuscripts were reviewed by the Editor and the Editorial Board and amended according to the referee suggestions prior to acceptance.
The ISHS acknowledges the cooperation received from the Editor and the Editorial Board on reviewing the manuscripts which was a significant contribution to the overall quality of the publication.
The ISHS Board of Directors
OPENING ADDRESS
Japanese pear ‘Nijisseiki’, which Tottori Prefecture prides on its worldwide fame, is a cultivar derived from chance seedlings in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture in 1888. And it is pear growers in Tottori Prefecture who have made ‘Nijisseiki’ world famous after 100 years’ culture. ‘Nijisseiki’ pear has been a leading cultivar for more than 100 years since late 19th century due to its excellent quality and elegant appearance.
To commemorate the 100 anniversary of ‘Nijisseiki’ pear, which has supported agricultural industry in Tottori Prefecture and made the name of ‘Tottori’ well known in the world, the government of Tottori Prefecture built up Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum in April 2001.
The International Symposium on Asian Pears was prepared to celebrate the opening of Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum.
About 60 delegates from 15 countries and 90 domestic delegates from Japan are attending this symposium for presenting more than 160 contributions.
On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to thank Dr.
Looney, President of XXVI International Horticultural Congress, and Dr.
Deckers, Chairman of ISHS Pear WG and all participants for attending.
My thanks are also to Governor Yoshihiro Katayama, Tottori Prefecture, and Mayor Yoshitada Hayakawa, Kurayoshi City for their coming.
Acknowledgements are due to the government of Tottori Prefecture, the government of Kurayoshi City and Tottori Head Quarters National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations of Japan for their cooperation and financial support.
I also would like to apologize in advance for any mistakes and inconvenience, which in all probability arise, although we have tried our best to prepare this symposium.
I wish everyone a successful Symposium.
Thank you very much.
Kenji Tanabe
Chairman of the Organizing Committee
OPENING REMARKS
Governor Katayama, Mayor Hayakawa, Chairman Tanabe, Convener Iwahori, Other Honoured Guests, Friends and Colleagues,
On behalf of President C.D. Brickell and the Board of Directors of the International Society for Horticultural Science I am pleased to welcome this international assembly of scientists and educators to the first ISHS-sponsored International Symposium on Asian Pears.
This symposium is an activity of the Fruit Section of the ISHS (Dr.
A.D. Webster, U.K., Fruit Section Chair) and more specifically of the Pear Working Group (Mr.
Tom Deckers, Belgium, Working Group Chair). While my present position on the ISHS Board is that of President of the XXVIth International Horticultural Congress , I was formerly Chair of the Fruit Section and of course have a strong personal interest in pomology research.
I expect to learn a great deal from the presentations and tours that form the scientific program of this symposium.
Based on the number of recognized leaders in pear research that I see in this audience, especially those from Japan, Korea, China and other countries where the Asian pear is an important crop, this symposium promises to deliver important new information that will prove beneficial to researchers and to producers of Asian pears around the world.
The concept for this symposium came from Professor Kenji Tanabe and his colleagues at Tottori University.
They, as well as government and industry colleagues from Tottori Prefecture, felt that an international scientific meeting to discuss Asian pears was a fitting way to honour the 100th anniversary of the Nijisseiki (Twentieth Century) pear.
Indeed, Nijisseiki was the most important Nashi cultivar throughout most of the last century.
Its productivity and excellent quality led to an increase in Asian pear consumption in many countries and important export markets were developed.
I commend Professor Tanabe and his colleagues for recognizing the historical importance of Nijisseiki in the ongoing development of the Asian pear industry.
Professor Tanabe’s proposal for an ISHS-sanctioned Asian pear symposium was strongly supported by the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science and by Professor Shuichi Iwahori, representing Japan on the ISHS Council.
Professor Iwahori, on behalf of Professor Tanabe and his organizing team, asked me to bring it to the ISHS Executive Committee when that body met in New Zealand in 1997. The Executive Committee readily agreed and asked Professor Iwahori to serve as convener.
At the VIIIth International Symposium on Pear Growing held in Italy in September of 2000 there was strong support for a symposium that would specifically focus on Asian pears.
Thus, we are here today in Kurayoshi City celebrating the culmination of all this planning and organizational activity.
Professor Iwahori has assembled an excellent representation of the world pear research community; I understand that 16 countries are represented. Mayor Yoshitada Hayakawa, Governor Yoshihiro Katayama of Tottori Prefecture, Dr.
Ichiro Kajiura of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science, and Mr.
Yoshio Hanamoto representing the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations have made every effort to make us feel welcome.
The ISHS is honoured to be the sanctioning body for this truly international event.
I wish for everyone a productive and enjoyable week of learning and networking and I look forward to seeing the volume of Acta Horticulturae that will report this important event.
Norman E. Looney
President, XXVIth International Horticultural Congress
WELCOME ADDRESS
On behalf of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science, and as a member of the Organizing Committee, it is with great pleasure that I welcome all the participants and the distinguished guests to the International Symposium on Asian pears.
The reason why this symposium is organized on “Asian pear” and not on “Common pear” will reveal the purpose and the contribution of this symposium to fruit tree science and fruit industry worldwide.
In 1868, that is, 134 years ago, both common pear and apple were simultaneously introduced into Japan from Europe and North America.
At present, about 930,000 tons of apple fruit is produced in Japan.
In addition, an excellent cultivar ‘Fuji’ was bred and has grown to be the third outstanding cultivar in the world.
Meanwhile, the production of common pear in Japan is 25,000 tons, which is 2.5% of that in apple and 6.5% of Japanese pear.
Why is common pear so small in scale in Japan? We, Japanese, consider Japanese pear as table fruit for tasting and enjoying its sweetness, juiciness and crisp texture.
In addition, we recognize that common pear is not a similar species belonging to the same genus, Pyrus, but a different fruit species because ripening treatment necessary to common pear has been unfamiliar to us.
This feature seems to be the fundamental cultural difference on fruit.
Recently, Asian pears have been introduced into Europe, North and South America and Oceania, and are being accepted as a new type of fruit.
There, Asian pears are sometimes called apple-pear.
This situation is the other way around that apples had been accepted as similar fruit to Japanese pear in Japan because these two fruits mature on the tree and are eaten directly after picking.
Therefore, Asian pear has a potential to be accepted easily and distributed widely in the apple-cultural areas in the world.
Although the distribution of Japanese pear outside Japan started, the genetical background of distributing cultivars is strongly related to the cv. ‘Nijisseiki (the 20th Century)’ and its progenies.
So, these facts indicate that ‘Nijisseiki’ has an important role in the world distribution of Asian pear.
Moreover, this year is the gate to the “21st Century”. So, this international symposium seems to be symbolic.
In addition, this symposium is held in Tottori Prefecture where ‘Nijisseiki’ pear industry has been established and many technical improvements have been made.
The Japanese Society strongly hopes that features of Asian pears in practical production will be realized and botanical relationships, phylogenetic problems of the genus Pyrus will be solved.
Moreover, it is my utmost desire that this fruit will be recognized worldwide and that this symposium will be the trigger of its wider use.
Last but not least, on behalf of the Japanese Society, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr.
Hayashi, Emeritus Professor and Dr.
Tanabe, Professor of Tottori University as Chairpersons.
Also, to all the members of the Organizing Committee; Dr.
Iwahori, Professor of University of Tsukuba as Convener; and all the members of the Scientific Committee.
Furthermore, appreciation is extended to Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture and Japan Agricultural Cooperative Association of Tottori for their great financial support and assistance; and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries and Horticultural Group of Directors of Prefectural Horticultural Experimental Stations for their joint collaboration to this symposium
A part of this symposium is open to citizens and fruit growers.
They will join the excursion to ‘Nijisseiki’ orchards and I am positive that a fruitful discussion could be achieved between growers and participants.
I hope that this symposium will provide a better understanding on the cultivation and management practices of Asian pears, especially ‘Nijisseiki’.
I am wholeheartedly confident that this symposium will be a success and I reiterate to express my cordial welcome to all the participants.
Ichiro Kajiura, Vice President, Japanese Society for Horticultural Science
WELCOME ADDRESS
I appreciate that the International Symposium on Asian Pears is going to be held in Kurayoshi city, Tottori prefecture, and welcome all the participants.
Tottori prefecture is the biggest producer of Nijisseiki Nashi in Japan.
During 100 years in 20th century Tottori prefecture has developed the industry of Nijisseiki concentrating research and also the growers have devoted to its growing.
I wish to further develop this Nijisseiki, to promote nashi industry and to activate agriculture in 21st century.
To fulfil the aim we have set up an active plan for the revival of Nijisseiki, and now we are materializing this plan.
We also opened the Nijisseiki-Nashi Museum in this April to look back upon the past and also to prospect the future.
The museum is located within this facility so please visit it during the Symposium.
It is very meaningful that the symposium is held at Kurayoshi in this very year.
Tomorrow we start marketing the Nijisseiki Nashi from Tottori prefecture at Osaka Wholesale Market.
Right now the growers are harvesting the fruit.
I feel it is symbolic that the Symposium is held today.
I hope the Symposium is successful and significant.
Please discuss all the problems related to Asian Pears and contribute to the future research and industry of Asian Pears.
In addition, I want you to see and enjoy Tottori prefecture during your stay.
Tottori is rich in many sightseeing places; beautiful nature, delicious foods and hot spas.
Please enjoy sightseeing taking this opportunity.
I, as the governor of Tottori Prefecture, fully welcome you.
Yoshihiro Katayama
Governor, Tottori Prefecture
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