Method of producing seedless watermelon

a watermelon and seedless technology, applied in the field of method of producing seedless watermelon, can solve the problems of increasing the incidence of hollow heart, risky and expensive direct seeding, and triangular shape triangular watermelon fruit,

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-09-07
SEMINIS VEGETABLE SEEDS
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Transplanting helps achieve rapid, complete plant stands, especially where seed costs make direct-seeding risky and expensive, as is the case with seedless watermelons.
Inadequate pollination results in triploid watermelon fruit that are triangular in shape and of poor quality.
Inadequate pollination may increase the incidence of hollowheart.
Triploid watermelon flowers do not produce sufficient viable pollen to induce fruit set and development.
As an alternative, the pollenizer variety has been planted every third plant in each row but this makes harvesting of the triploid fruit difficult because mixed diploid and triploid fruit must be separated.
This also makes planting difficult because blanks must be left where the diploid should go.
Maintaining the rotation of three triploid to one diploid is not easily accomplished.
If planted too late, the triploid will be ready to set fruit but not enough poll

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Short Vine Diploid Pollinators

[0051] Sixty-nine diploid lines of the short vine plant habit type have been developed. Sixteen lines are shown in Table 1. Of these 16 lines in Table 1, there are 4 different rind pattern types including gray, dark green, light green with narrow stripes, and light green with wide stripes. Also included are lines having: 1) both red and yellow fleshed lines; 2) round, blocky and elongated fruit shapes and 3) lobed and nonlobed leaf types.

[0052] These diploid short vine lines can be crossed with many other genetic backgrounds to select for additional short vine lines.

TABLE 1Short Vine PollinatorNumber / Lobed orIDRind PatternFlesh ColorFruit ShapeNon-lobed6753GrayRedRoundLobed6741GrayRedRoundNon-lobed4935GrayRedBlockyNon-lobed4963GrayRedElongatedLobed4923Dark GreenRedRoundLobed4922Dark GreenRedRoundNon-lobed4959Dk. mottled stripeRedRoundLobed4915Dk. mottled stripeRedRoundNon-lobed4961Dk. mottled stripeRedBlockyLobed4962Dk. mottled stripeRedBlockyNon-lo...

example 2

[0053] Short vine diploid lines 6741 and 6754 have been tested as pollinators of triploid plants under field conditions. During 2001, at five different locations in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, plantings were made using either alternate rows for the pollinator or with the pollinator planted in the same row as the triploid plants. The short vine diploid pollinator induced triploid fruit set earlier, approximately 10 days earlier, when planted in the same row as compared to planting the diploid plants in separate alternate rows from the triploid plants. The quantity of fruit set by the triploid plants was normal and similar in number and size to the standard long vine pollinator. Line 6741 produced more triploid fruit which set earlier than the 6754 line.

example 3

[0054] In 2001, a location near Gilroy, Calif. was planted and harvested where the short vine pollinator was planted at different intervals between the triploid plants down the same row including at the intervals of (every 2, 3, 4, 5 triploid plants). Fruit set decreased at a spacing of one pollinator every 4 or 5 plants but fruit set was normal using short vine pollinators for every 2 or 3 triploid plants compared to long vine pollinators.

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Abstract

The present invention is a novel method which improves the economical production of seedless watermelon fruit. The novel method involves using short vine pollinators in the production field to pollinate the triploid hybrids which result in increased yields.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a novel method of producing seedless watermelons using short vine pollinators. The present invention also relates to a watermelon seed, a watermelon plant, watermelon flower, and a watermelon variety which comprise having a short vine. [0002] Watermelon belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. Watermelon is commercially grown from either seed or transplants. Citrullus is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. The Cucurbitaceae is a family of about 90 genera and 700 to 760 species, mostly of the tropics. The family includes pumpkins, squashes, gourds, melons, cucumber, watermelon, loofah, and several weeds. A bitter-fruited form of Citrullus vulgaris appears to be the ancestor of the cultivated watermelon. [0003] Successful watermelon production depends on attention to various cultural practices. This involves soil management practices with special attention to proper fertilization, crop establishment with appropriate spa...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A01H5/00C12N5/04A01H1/02A01H5/08
CPCA01H1/02A01H5/08A01H6/342
Inventor BARHAM, WARREN S.
Owner SEMINIS VEGETABLE SEEDS
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