ABSTRACT
The best climate for growing quality pears is one that is warm to hot during the summer and has enough frost-free days to mature the fruit. Domestic pears are generally more hardy to low winter temperatures than peaches but less hardy than apples. Controlled atmosphere conditions for most commercial pears, including Asian pears, have been summarized by D. G. Richardson. Pear culture is similar to apple requiring annual dormant pruning to increase light exposure, to improve accessibility for spraying and harvesting, and to reduce the crop load for increased fruit size and quality. Besides the preharvest and maturational considerations, there are many harvesting and handling factors which can influence pear quality. Controlled atmospheres have been very important to the market developments of pears all over the world. Pears are attacked in storage mainly by Botrytis, Penicillium, Mucor, Pezicula, and Phialophora fungal pathogens.
