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New research by scientists at Washington State University in the U.S. has discovered ripening compounds that could bring an end to the crunchy unripe pear which suddenly goes bad, without becoming ripe at all. Apples can be treated with a substance called SmartFresh which enables them to be stored for long periods - but pears don't react in the same way when they are treated - they just stay unripe. Now, genomics scientists have developed a new compound that helps pears to ripen after they've been treated with SmartFresh. First broadcast on Farming Today, 6 July 2016.
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