The Impact of the Natural Grass-Growing Model on the Development of Korla Fragrant Pear Fruit, as Well as Its Influence on Post-Harvest Sugar Metabolism and the Expression of Key Enzyme Genes Involved in Fruit Sugar Synthesis

Mingyang Yu, Lanfei Wang, Yan Chen, Weifan Fan, Hao Wang, Kailu Guo, Shutian Tao, Xin Gong and Jianping Bao ()
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Mingyang Yu: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University (Main Campus), Alar 843300, China
Lanfei Wang: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University (Main Campus), Alar 843300, China
Yan Chen: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University (Main Campus), Alar 843300, China
Weifan Fan: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University (Main Campus), Alar 843300, China
Hao Wang: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Kailu Guo: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University (Main Campus), Alar 843300, China
Shutian Tao: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Xin Gong: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Jianping Bao: College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University (Main Campus), Alar 843300, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-28

Abstract: In this study, the effects of natural grass cultivation and clear cultivation on the physiological characteristics of Korla fragrant pear during fruit development and storage were investigated, providing a scientific basis for high-quality fragrant pear cultivation. Sugar components, enzyme activities, and gene expression levels in the pulp and peel were comprehensively analyzed during fruit development and storage. A classification model was constructed using machine learning algorithms (RF, KNN, SVM), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) was employed to identify key factors. The results showed that natural grass cultivation significantly enhanced sugar accumulation in the fruits, particularly at 120 and 150 days after flowering, with fructose content increasing by 9.09 mg·g −1 and 12.59 mg·g −1 , respectively, and glucose content also rising significantly. Additionally, natural grass cultivation promoted the relative expression levels of GK , PFK , and FK genes in the pulp. During fruit storage, enzyme activities in the natural grass cultivation group were consistently higher than those in the clear cultivation group across different periods, with PFK activity being 23.73 U/L higher at 150 days of storage. The model identified the activities of glyceraldehyde kinase, phosphofructokinase, and fructokinase as key factors influencing sugar content. A significant negative correlation was observed between peel phosphofructokinase activity and fruit fructose content, though this relationship requires further investigation. This study elucidates the regulatory mechanism by which cultivation methods affect fruit quality through enzyme activity and photosynthetic product distribution. Our findings provide a critical scientific foundation for the high-quality cultivation of Korla fragrant pear and are expected to advance the efficient development of the fragrant pear industry, helping farmers improve both fruit quality and income.

Keywords: Korla fragrant pear; natural grass; sugar content; sugar metabolism-related enzymes; gene expression; machine learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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