How are the newest seedless watermelons bred?

Watermelon can be called the “king of midsummer”, refreshing and thirst-quenching, sweet and juicy, and nutritious. Besides containing no fat or cholesterol, it contains large amounts of glucose, malic acid, fructose, proteogenic amino acids, lycopene, and rich vitamin C and other substances, but now there are many seedless watermelons on the market, so let us take a look together at how seedless watermelons come about!

How do seedless watermelons come about?

Seedless watermelons are obtained by the method of artificially inducing polyploidy, such as treating the seeds or seedlings of diploid watermelons with colchicine (a plant alkaloid), causing it to block the formation of spindle fibers and the primary wall in the middle stage of cell division, so that the already replicated chromosome sets cannot separate toward the two poles and form a secondary wall in the middle. As a result, cells with doubled chromosome sets are formed, and tetraploid watermelon plants are obtained. Then they are crossed with diploid watermelon plants (as the male parent), thereby obtaining triploid seeds. In triploid plants, due to disordered pairing of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, normal reproductive cells cannot be formed. Then mature pollen from ordinary diploid watermelons is used to stimulate the ovary of triploid plant flowers to become triploid fruit, because their ovules cannot develop into seeds.

Are seedless watermelons harmful to people?

Seedless watermelons are not harmful to people. Seedless watermelons are not genetically modified. So-called GM foods use biotechnology to transfer the genes of certain organisms into other species, modifying the organism's genetic material so that it is optimized and improved in traits, nutritional quality, consumption quality, and other aspects. Seedless watermelons, like ordinary watermelons, are also products of gene recombination under natural laws, and their genes have not been changed through any human intervention, so eating them naturally does no harm to health. Of course, eating too many will, like other watermelons, harm the spleen and stomach and easily cause diarrhea and other conditions.

What are the benefits of eating watermelon?

1. Cooling and heat relief: Watermelon has the effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, and purging fire and eliminating irritability. Eating watermelon in summer can promote fluid production, quench thirst, clear heat, and relieve summer heat.

2. Hydration and sun protection: Watermelon's water content is second to none among fruits, so it is especially suitable for replenishing the body's water loss in summer.

3. Smooth bowel movements: After eating watermelon, urine output increases noticeably, which can reduce bile pigment content and has a certain effect on treating jaundice.

4. Slowing aging: Watermelon juice and fresh tender rind can increase skin elasticity, make people look younger, reduce wrinkles, and add luster.

5. Treating nephritis: Watermelon contains a certain amount of sugar and salt, so it has a relatively good therapeutic effect on mild nephritis.

6. Sobering effect: Watermelon has the effect of relieving alcohol. Eating it raw or frequently drinking watermelon juice makes an intoxicated person feel refreshed and clear-headed, awakening the spirit and relieving alcohol.