Abstract Generally, ethylene releasing compounds such as ethephon (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) is applied to reduce fruit removal force of cherries fruits. The object of this research was effect of ethephon on facilitating harvest of sour cherry fruit and also on fruit quality. To loose fruit stem in commercial cultivar Cigány meggy various concentrations of ethephon (0 (control), 150, 225 and 300 ppm) were applied one week before harvest. Properties assessed such as fruit removal force without stem, fruit detach pedicle from shoot, fruit abscission percentage, fruit weight, flesh/pit ratio, fruit diameter, fruit firmness, fruits brix, titratable acidity and sugar/acid ratio. By increasing ethephon concentration, considerably decreased fruit removal force without stem, fruit detach pedicle from shoot, fruit firmness and titratable acidity and increased fruit abscission percentage, fruit weight, flesh/pit ratio, fruits brix, sugar/acid ratio increased. Ethephon concentration had no significant affect on fruit diameter.

کلمات کلیدی