Color and Russet Variation Among Selections of ‘Bosc’ Pear

Abstract

Surface color and russet coverage were measured on fruit of ‘Bosc’ pear and four high-russet selections of ‘Bosc’: ‘Golden Russet Bosc’, ‘Bronze Beauty’, ‘Mt. Adams Bosc’, and ‘Wenatchi Gold’. In four years of study varying in the amount of rainfall during the post-bloom period of russet vulnerability, russet coverage varied substantially in ‘Bosc’, while all high-russet selections developed full russet in all years. Fruit color, as indicated by hue values, was not significantly different among the high-russet selections, although all were different than ‘Bosc’. The ‘Bosc’ value for color saturation (chroma), was greater than that for ‘Bronze Beauty’ and ‘Wenatchi Gold’. ‘Bosc’ color was lighter than the high-russet selections over the four years. In a year of relatively high rainfall during the post-bloom period, fruit cracking developed in some of the high-russet selections. The highest incidence of cracking was observed in ‘Mt. Adams Bosc’, ‘Bronze Beauty’, and ‘Wenatchi Gold’, with small amounts in standard ‘Bosc’ and ‘Golden Russet’.