Optimum Conditions for On-tree Ethanol-sticker Treatment for Astringency Removal in ‘Taigetsu’ and ‘Taiten’ Persimmons

Various on-tree ethanol-sticker treatments for ‘Taigetsu’ and ‘Taiten’ persimmon (astringent cultivars) were tested to identify optimal treatment conditions for astringency removal and fruit quality. Using aluminum foil coated or polyethylene terephthalate stickers to attach a pad containing 1.5 g of ethanol powder to both sides of the fruit surface in early October removed astringency completely, while the application of treatments to one side of the fruit surface did not. The astringency removal was incomplete in treatments with a cast coating sticker. The aluminum foil-coated sticker with a 1.0 g ethanol pad applied in early October removed flesh astringency completely without fruit skin darkening or the occurrence of large numbers of brown specks in the flesh. It extended fruit shelf life by approximately 7 days compared with postharvest CO2 treatment in November. Conversely, sticker treatments in late September caused many brown specks in the flesh. The sticker treatment with a 0.6 g ethanol pad failed to remove the astringency completely while the sticker treatment with a 1.5 g ethanol pad resulted in heavy fruit skin darkening or the appearance of shallow concentric cracks on the fruit skin. Therefore, we conclude that an on-tree sticker treatment with a 1.0 g ethanol pad on both sides of the fruit surface in early October removes fruit astringency completely and provides high quality ‘Taigetsu’ and ‘Taiten’ persimmon fruit.