What is a seedless watermelon?
Imagine a watermelon that looks, tastes, and is as sweet as the traditional one, but without the hassle of seeds. This unique eating experience is what a seedless watermelon offers, making it a delightful choice for your palate.
From a genetic standpoint, there is another difference: traditional watermelon is diploid because it contains two sets of chromosomes. As for the seedless strains, they are triploid and have acquired new characteristics due to the action of colchicine, a natural compound that can induce polyploidy in plants. This process is far from genetic engineering technology and does not pose any problems to the public health of consumers. To grow such a watermelon, the producer grows three types of watermelon. It is necessary to pollinate those flowers that give fruits with the desired characteristics.
History and origin of seedless watermelon:
The first seedless watermelons were grown by Japanese breeders. Kyoto University's successful experiment in altering the chromosomal system in traditional watermelons led to the emergence of the first unique varieties in the 1940s and 1950s. After the Land of the Rising Sun, farmers in the USA, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and other countries mastered this technology. Only in the 21st century did seedless watermelon appear in many countries and immediately gain popularity among consumers.
Now, the increasing quantities of these items are similar to the traditional quantities. Buyers prefer to buy seedless watermelon because it contains practically no waste.
How do you grow watermelon if it has no seeds?
In the 1990s, commercial manufacturing of seedless watermelon began. Since then, its quantities have steadily increased to become a significant part of today's watermelon market. Early seedless varieties did not have the high levels of sugar and flavor found in seeded varieties. However, plant breeders have improved these traits, and new varieties no longer have these problems.
However, one persistent problem is seed germination. Initially, the germination of seedless watermelon seeds was very low. One solution is to keep the seeds warm (32.2°C) until they germinate and emerge from the growing medium. However, this is difficult in cold climates where water temperatures reach 4.5 degrees. Every time the seeds are watered, their temperature decreases.
Watermelon has a typical number of chromosomes, 22, a diploid number. With this even number, cell division is very regular, and pollen and egg cells containing 11 chromosomes join together to produce seeds with the usual 22 chromosomes.
The number of chromosomes may be doubled from 22 to 44 (tetraploid, which means four) through a chemical method. Again, cell division in 44-chromosome plants is regular, resulting in pollen and egg cells with 22 chromosomes that merge to form seeds with 44 chromosomes. Consider pollen from a plant with 22 chromosomes being put on a female flower of a plant with 44 chromosomes. The resultant seed will have 33 chromosomes (triploid—three sets of the main number of 11 chromosomes).
A seedless watermelon has remnants of white seeds, but only on rare occasions does it have a developed, brown, hard seed. Diploid watermelons should be produced with the seedless variety since the pollen of these plants is not viable. The diploid will give sufficient pollen for bees to walk around and fertilize the seedless variety's blossoms. Vital pollen is needed to stimulate fruit set and growth, although the resulting fruit will be seedless. These diploid varieties can be commercial, classified species, or simply present as a pollen source.
Seed firms keep diploid and tetraploid parental lines and then execute controlled hybridization. They use hand-pollination crosses, a labor-intensive process where each flower is individually pollinated, to produce seeds. This additional expense in seed production makes seeds for seedless species more expensive.
Disadvantages and advantages of growing watermelon without seeds:
The main advantages of seedless watermelon are its high sugar content, ease of use, and high yield.
The disadvantages of its cultivation are as follows:
1. Growing seedless watermelon requires high heat and humidity. When the temperature drops to 3-5 degrees Celsius, the plants die, along with a lack of moisture.
2. Seedless varieties are more susceptible to attacks from traditional watermelon diseases and pests.
3. The inability to grow such watermelons without using pollinated varieties
4. It must be harvested immediately when it reaches maturity, as the crop may be lost.
Growing seedless watermelons demands meticulous attention to technology and cautious handling. This underscores the importance of precision and care in agriculture, making it a rewarding but challenging endeavor.
5- The appropriate soil temperature for germination is 18–20 degrees Celsius.
6- The sterility of seedless hybrids requires the presence of pollination lines. For every two seedless plants, one pollinated seedling is grown.
7- Seedless watermelon hybrids require special attention during cultivation. Most hybrids are susceptible to known watermelon diseases.
8- The germination of seeds in these melons is low, so one should responsibly choose planting material and purchase it only from trusted companies. It is better to buy seeds in stock if the gardener plans to grow a crop for himself and for sale.
Commercial production of seedless watermelon began in the 1990s. Since then, it has steadily increased to become a significant part of today's watermelon market. Early seedless varieties did not have the levels of sugar and flavor found in seeded varieties. However, plant breeders have improved these traits, and new varieties no longer have these problems.