CA 95616 Maturity Indices 'Bartlett' pears attain best eating quality if picked at the mature-green stage and ripened off the tree since they become mealy if ripened on the tree. Fruit which has been cold stored for 3 weeks will ripen uniformly without ethylene conditioning. CA conditions slow the rates of respiration, ethylene production, color change from green to yellow, and softening of pears. Physiological Disorders Scald.
Senescent scald is a skin disorder that can occur during storage or subsequent ripening.
Pink Calyx . Symptoms include brown spots or bands on the skin where rolling, rubbing, or vibration occurred, and damage is usually not visible below the surface. Pathological Disorders Blue mold rot is caused by Penicillium expansum which is a wound parasite that readily colonizes cuts and punctures on pears. Avoiding mechanical injuries is the best way to avoid this fungus. Gray mold rot is caused by Botrytis cinerea .