How are seedless watermelons cultivated?

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

Where do seedless watermelons come from?

Seedless watermelons are obtained by the method of artificially inducing polyploids. For example, treating the seeds or seedlings of diploid watermelons with colchicine (a plant alkaloid) blocks the formation of spindle fibers and the primary wall at 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, resulting in cells with doubled chromosome sets and thus tetraploid watermelon plants. These are then crossed with diploid watermelon plants (as the male parent), thereby obtaining triploid seeds. Because homologous chromosomes fail to pair normally during meiosis, triploid plants cannot form normal reproductive cells. The mature pollen of ordinary diploid watermelons is then used to stimulate the ovary of the triploid plant's flower, forming a triploid fruit, because its 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 genetically modified food is made by using biotechnology to transfer the genes of certain organisms into other species, modifying the genetic material of the organism so that its traits, nutritional quality, consumption quality and other aspects are optimized and improved. Seedless watermelons, like ordinary watermelons, are also the product 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 effect of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, and purging fire and eliminating irritability. Eating watermelon in summer can promote body fluids and 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 levels and has a certain effect on treating jaundice.

4. Slowing aging: Watermelon juice and fresh tender rind can increase skin elasticity, making people look younger, reducing wrinkles and adding 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. Eaten raw or with watermelon juice drunk frequently, it makes a drunk person feel clear and refreshed, rousing the spirit and relieving alcohol.