Lian Chen¹ , Xingzhu Feng²

1 Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang Colloge of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
2 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Horticulture, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 1   doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0005
Received: 15 Dec., 2025    Accepted: 18 Jan., 2026    Published: 21 Jan., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Chen L., and Feng X.Z., 2026, Nutrient regulation for improving pear fruit size and sugar content, International Journal of Horticulture, 16(1): 55-67 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0005)

The size and sweetness of pears (Pyrus spp.) influence people's preferences and market prices. This study explored the effect of dietary regulation on pear fruits, with a focus on three major nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and also involved trace elements, such as boron, zinc and copper. It analyzed the roles of these nutrients in fruit cell division, the transport of water and nutrients within plants, sugar changes, and the energy distribution between leaves and fruits. The results show that potassium is a key factor, which can activate sugar transportation-related genes (such as SUT and SWEET), allowing more sugar to enter the fruit and making pears larger and sweeter. When growers apply bio-organic fertilizers simultaneously or spray trace elements on the leaves, the sugar-acid ratio is further optimized and the flavor of the pears is also better. Actual cases have also verified this point: increasing the application of potassium fertilizer can boost the yield of pears, while supplementing boron and zinc improves the appearance of the fruit, making it more market-attractive. It indicates that the best way to manage pears is to apply fertilizers in a balanced manner, in stages, and by combining organic and mineral fertilizers. This study provides fruit farmers with more scientific and targeted guidelines for pear tree management.

Pear (Pyrus spp.); Nutrient regulation; Sugar accumulation; Potash fertilizer; Bio-organic fertilizer; Precision fertilization