The study was conducted in Caçador (1067 units of cold-UF during vernalization) and São Joaquim (1999 UF) in 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons, in order to compare the quality of fruits produced by different cultivars of Japanese pear, in two locations and harvested at different stages of maturation. The deficiency in the quantity and quality of the cold during vernalization trigged the flowering without the presence of leaves up to "J" stage in the cv. Kousui, affecting the initial development of the fruits. It also was responsible for a small number of flower buds per plant and a low quantity of flowers per bud. Regions with appropriate amount of cold during the vernalization requires more intense thinning due to the greater fruit set per plant. The harvest of fruits before they reach the ideal point of physiological maturity involves the production of fruits with lower weight, lower total soluble solids, harder and less palatable. Harvesting the fruits after the point of optimum harvest may present physiological disorders such as the honey drop and the internal degeneration caused by pulp senescence. The content of TSS was defined more by the genotype of the cultivar, but for some cultivars it varied between years. The cvs. Housui and Kousui tend to contain higher °Brix than cv. Nijisseiki. Best commercial quality of fruits was observed in cv. Housui. The number of seeds per fruit varied between cultivars and years. The cv. Housui showed low fecundity when analyzed by the average number of seeds produced per fruit (<3.0); the cv. Kousui showed low fecundity in São Joaquim, but intermediate fecundity (3.1 to 5.0 seeds per fruit) in Caçador, the cv. Suisei showed intermediate fecundity, and cv. Nijisseiki showed high fecundity (> 5.1 seeds per fruit).
Pyrus pyrifolia var. culta; pear; sugar content; firmness; maturation color; seed
