A new pear variety, the red-blushed Lanya pear, was bred and selected in Tatura, Australia. It is set to enter the Asian market and appear in Australian stores by 2017. The Lanya pear is part of a new breeding program called Profitable Pears by the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.
DEDJTR research manager Ian Goodwin said this pear would do well in the Asian market, as there is demand for red fruit there.
The characteristics of the pear are quite unlike a Packham or William, in that it has a crisp, firm texture, sweet flesh and a pink blush.
The Lanya pear will maintain crispness for up to 10 days in the fridge.
‘‘The industry decided on traits they want in a pear,’’ Dr Goodwin said.
He said the idea was to try to utilise a disease-resistant pear and work out how to build those traits.
‘‘Unfortunately these won’t be fully resistant to diseases like black spot,’’ he said.
Dr Goodwin said there were two other pears that were currently being trialled, including Deliza, a green pear with a red blush that has a fine texture and no grit, and ANP-0534 — which hasn’t yet been given a name.
