Ajarn Jess answers questions about why there are still ‘seeds’ in ‘seedless watermelons’ for cultivation.

Acharn Jess answered the question: Why? “Watermelon without seeds” Although it is still there “seed” He sold it for use in agriculture and confirmed that it is real and not a photoshop image. Ready to explain the origin and clear methods of cultivation

December 8, 2023 became a topic discussed online. When a Twitter account user (X) shared a photo of watermelon seeds, the envelope stated that it was a type of strain. “seedless” Willing to say, “The paradox of the year I give this the best,” prompting many people to express their opinions in large numbers. He wondered if it was actually seedless fruits What exactly is the cultivation method?

Recently, Assistant Professor Dr. Jesada Dinduangpurivan, Lecturer, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University and Science Communicators published a clarification on this issue. Via Facebook page Oh, it’s like this by Acharn Jes. Explain why watermelon is seedless even though there are seeds for sale

I saw people posting this picture as a joke, it was like selling seedless watermelon seeds. Oh, if a watermelon was seedless, how could it have seeds? Is it a fake photo? The answer is: They do not have watermelon seeds. When grown and crossed with a regular seeded variety, it produces watermelons that contain very few seeds. It is even called seedless watermelon. (Are you scattered abroad?)

In fact, the breed “Watermelon without seeds” This does not mean that it will not have a single seed. Only it has very few brown, hard and small seeds. While most of the seeds are soft white seeds that can be chewed and eaten.

So how did the seedless watermelon appear? Is it a genetically modified organism, a genetically modified organism? The answer is no, it is not a genetically modified organism that has been modified using modern DNA technology. But it uses a method to increase the number of sets of chromosomes (chromosomes) until they become sterile.

People include plants and animals. Most have a certain number of chromosome sets. In normal body cells, there are two groups (2n or diploid), for example, human body cells. There are 46 chromosomes, or 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes.

But “seedless watermelon” is the result of a normal 2n watermelon breeding to become 3X or triploid (i.e. having 3 sets of chromosomes instead of 2) and causing the offspring that emerge to be sterile, and not many seeds remain. Which will be able to be planted and grown for generations to come

Watermelon is a fruit that is constantly evolving and has more than 1,200 varieties, but in general, although watermelon is popularly consumed all over the world, but because it is a fruit with many seeds and the seeds are very hard, it makes it difficult to eat, so consumers have a strong demand for watermelon varieties. seedless.

In 1939, a group of Japanese geneticists invented the “seedless watermelon” by Hitoshi Kihara, who improved the watermelon variety. To increase the number of chromosome sets by injecting chemicals to increase the chromosomes given to a female watermelon, make the number of chromosome sets double (i.e. 4X or tetraploid).

Before it was mixed with the stamens of normal watermelon plants (2n), resulting in a new watermelon variety which has a 3X chromosome set and is sterile. Before it was crossed with watermelons with normal seeds again the first seedless watermelon fruit was successfully produced.

Seedless watermelon has become one of the fruits that tend to be in great demand in markets around the world, such as the markets of the United States, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, especially the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets, where more than 3,000 tons of seedless watermelon are shipped for sale annually.

In general, spread “seedless fruit” Various varieties (such as seedless bananas, grapes, oranges, etc.) are created by human hands and are usually done by asexual propagation, such as budding, grafting, cutting, grafting, and grafting, making each plant genetically identical to the parent variety. No matter how many times it is reproduced, as for sexual reproduction, use seeds to produce this plant. It is not popular because it will result in plants that are genetically different from the original.

But in case of seedless watermelon, seedless can be propagated by seeds. You only need to plant them with watermelon varieties that also have seeds. (See last paragraph)

1. Use hormones that help fruit set (fruit set regulator) to spray during flower opening. Stimulating fruit growth can be obtained without pollination. Which leads to obtaining a small number of seeds
2. It passes gamma (gamma) rays to cause chromosomal abnormalities.
3. Use chemicals such as colchicine to decrease during cell division in metaphase, doubling the number of chromosome sets (i.e. from 2n to 4X), then mix the flowers of 4X plants. With 2n stamens of normal plants, a new set is created with 3X chromosomes which are sterile/when planted. It is mixed with 2 stamens of natural plants again, making the watermelon seedless. Or there may be incomplete seeds. (or the white seeds that you see)… This method is the most common method used today.

Therefore, the seeds sold from seedless watermelon are 3x watermelon seeds which can be seen to have a thicker seed coat than variety 2. Food reserves are in the seeds. will be smaller

When to Plant The seedless watermelon growing method will be used. Alternate rows or plants with regular watermelon varieties when both varieties are in flower. The stamens of normal plants will be taken. To be fertilized with pistils of seedless plants with the normal flowering method from which the watermelon fruit emerged will be seedless. According to the flowers of the mother plant (seedless variety).

Thank you for the Facebook information, Oh, It’s Like This Posted by Acharn Jess.