Is seedless watermelon genetically modified? The latest answer

Watermelon is an annual trailing vine of the genus Citrullus in the Cucurbitaceae family. It was first introduced to China during the Jin and Yuan dynasties and can be called the “king of midsummer”. It is widely cultivated throughout China and has many varieties, with diverse forms of exocarp, flesh and seeds. The most famous places include Xinjiang, Lanzhou in Gansu, Dezhou in Shandong, and Liyang in Jiangsu. Now let us take a look at whether seedless watermelon is genetically modified!

Is seedless watermelon genetically modified?

Seedless watermelon is not genetically modified. So-called genetically modified food refers to the use of biotechnology to transfer certain genes from one organism into other species, altering the genetic material of the organism so that it is optimized and improved in traits, nutritional quality, consumption quality and other aspects. Seedless watermelon, however, is triploid, produced by crossing a diploid with an induced tetraploid. Because triploid cells experience disordered synapsis during meiosis, triploid watermelon cannot form seeds, so seedless watermelon is not genetically modified.

How did seedless watermelon come about?

Seedless watermelon is obtained by artificially inducing polyploidy, such as treating diploid watermelon seeds or seedlings with colchicine (a plant alkaloid) to block the formation of spindle fibers and the primary wall during the metaphase of cell division, so that the already replicated chromosome sets cannot move to the two poles and a secondary wall forms in the middle. As a result, cells with doubled chromosome sets are formed, producing tetraploid watermelon plants. These are then crossed with diploid watermelon plants (as the male parent) to obtain triploid seeds. Due to disordered synapsis of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, the triploid plant cannot form normal reproductive cells. The mature pollen of ordinary diploid watermelon is then used to stimulate the ovary of the triploid plant's flower to become a triploid fruit, because its ovules cannot develop into seeds.

What genetically modified agricultural products are there?

1. Tomato: Tomato is a vegetable liked by most people around the world, and tomato genes are relatively easy to transfer, so the tomatoes eaten today are also slowly moving onto the path of genetic modification, and there is even a trend toward beginning commercial production.

2. Sweet pepper: In 1998, with approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, genetically modified colored peppers were once allowed for commercial cultivation, but genetically modified colored peppers in China seem not to have received much welcome from the public, and today genetically modified colored peppers are basically no longer produced.

3. Corn: Genetically modified corn has already been allowed to be imported into China from the United States, and especially on January 7, 2015, a certain agricultural university even developed a genetically modified corn variety with insect-resistant rice and won an award for it.

4. Rapeseed: Genetically modified rapeseed still faces various controversies among governments of various countries. Ultimately, the concern is still about toxicity and allergies. Although the cultivation of genetically modified rapeseed has not yet begun to be promoted in China, genetically modified rapeseed seeds are imported.

5. Soybean: Genetically modified soybeans have begun to enter the market on a large scale and are mainly used for processing cooking oil. As for whether genetically modified soybeans are sold in the market, it is unknown. If you do not want to eat genetically modified cooking oil, it is recommended to read the product label clearly before buying.