Effect of Ultraviolet Light on Anthocyanin Synthesis in Light-Colored Sweet Cherry, cv. Sato Nishiki.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, provided by a fluorescent lamp with 1.3 W • m-2 and emission peak at 312 nm (UV312), was much more effective on anthocyanin synthesis in light-colored sweet cherry, cv. Sato Nishiki, than was white fluorescent lamp with 4.0 W • m-2. Anthocyanin accumulation was linearly correlated to the duration of irradiation with UV312 light and the storage in the dark after irradiation. The use of cut-off filters revealed that the most effective wavelength of UV312 was in the region of UV-B (UV from 280 to 320 nm). The effect of UV-B on anthocyanin production in 'Sato Nishiki' seemed to have an important role in the development of the desirable red skin color under field light conditions.