After red-fleshed Shonima and yellow-fleshed Swarna, it is now the turn of orange-fleshed watermelon.
The orange-fleshed seedless watermelon was developed at the Department of Vegetable Science, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, as part of the PhD research project of Ansaba, a PhD scholar conducting research under the guidance of Pradeepkumar T, the principal breeder of Swarna and Shonima.
The fruits of the orange-fleshed seedless watermelon, weighing 3.5 kg, are sweeter and of better quality than regular varieties. This is the first time in India that a public-sector research institute has developed a seedless watermelon with an orange core, said a press release.
Pradeepkumar T emphasised the need for detailed experiments before making seeds available to farmers. He said that watermelon cultivation is becoming widespread in Kerala, with more youth taking up farming, mainly on leased land, cultivating hybrid varieties. The Kerala Agricultural University has transferred the technology for producing seeds of Shonima to the Vegetables & Fruits Promotion Council Kerala and to a private seed company based in Bangalore.
The cultivation of orange-fleshed watermelon has recently picked up in India. The arrival of the seedless variety in this segment will boost watermelon cultivation in the country, he added.
K..N. Anith, Director of Research, and representatives of the Indo-American Hybrid Seed Company, Bangalore, participated in the organoleptic assessment of the new orange-fleshed triploid seedless hybrid conducted at the Department of Vegetable Science, Vellanikkara.