In IAC persimmon breeding program there is usually the need of analyzing hundreds of fruit samples coming from different hybrid plants, aiming at the selection of the best genetic materials. Fruits are usually harvested unripe and classified as to the astringency level in tasting tests: constant "shibugaki", variable "shibugaki"/ "amagaki" and absence of astringency "amagaki". As misleading results have been obtained in tasting tests, an indirect procedure has been proposed to evaluate tannin levels in persimmon flesh. It is based on a color scale (dark blue/dark gray - astringent type; brown - variable astringency, and light gray-absence of astringency), detected after the application of 0.1 N iron chloride solution on persimmon flesh. The new method has shown good precision, allowing determination of a great number of samples in a short period of time.
Diospyros kaki L.f.; breeding program; analytic process; tannin determination; iron chloride