C6-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16, 1991 Spark Plugs Fouled event for beef producers will fea ture breeding cattle sales, steer and heifer shows for junior exhibi tors, more than 60 commercial exhibits, and an educational prog ram focusing on the management of beef cows and calves. Thurs day, Friday, and Saturday, March 28, 29 and 30. Penn State Ag Are na, University Park. Registration fees will vary. Seedless Watermelons Perhaps the most significant recent event in watermelon breed ing is the development of seedless varieties for production. Although some people still prefer spitting out the seeds found in traditional watermelons, many others Find it enjoyable to eat a watermelon without having to deal with seeds. i>i many cases, seedless waterme lons are also sweeter than seeded watermelons. The genetic technology to breed seedless watermelons was origi nally demonstrated in the early 19305, although commercially acceptable varieties have only recently become available. Basi cally, unlike most organisms (including humans) which are “diploid” and have two sets of chromosomes, seedless waterme lons have three. Thus, they are often referred to as “triploid” watermelons because of the three (hence “tri”) chromosome sets. Since they are sterile (seedless) and can’t reproduce themselves, triploid seeds are obtained by making hybrids between diploid plants and “tetraploid” plants (i.e., those with four sets of chromo somes). This process is tedious and labor-intensive; thus the cost of triploid watermelon seed is often in the range of 25 to 30 cents per seed. Although the chromosome imbalance in the triploid seedless plants does not seem to suppress the growth or development of the plant, it has a dramatic effect upon seed production in the fruit The viability of both pollen grains and ovules are drastically reduced because of the abnormal chromo some movement that occurs dur ing fruiting. Since fruit set and fruit growth in all watermelons (both seeded and seedless) are dependent upon pollination of the female flower, viable pollen is an absolute neces sity for seedless watermelon pro duction. Diploid (seeded) water melon plants must be planted among the triploid (seedless) plants in order that bees have a viable source of pollen for the **» K % m.B. KL&gHagllE gE®!P 2388 Old Leacock Rd., Gordonville, PA 17529 CUSTOM BUILT COAL STOVES HIGH PRESSURE WASHERS HIGH-TENSILE FENCING PEQUEA & PEERLESS BATTERIES DISTRIBUTOR FOR BEARINGS SPROCKETS, PULLEYS, BELTS KENDALL & DRYDENE OILS & LUBRICANTS (Continued from Page C 5) seedless plants. Once bees carry viable pollen to the flowers of the seedless plants, fruits start form ing from the base of the female flower. The ovules within these fruit are not viable, so true seeds do not form despite the presence of viable pollen. When seedless watermelons are cut open at ripeness, small white vestigial seeds are often seen. These result from the inviable ovules and are easily chewed and swallowed as part of the flesh. Researchers have grown seedless watermelons at the University of Maryland for two years. All var ieties were germinated in the greenhouse and transplanted to the field. Poor germination has long been acknowledged as a problem with triploid watermelon seeds. Some seed companies recommend that soil or peat pots should be soaked thoroughly and drained 24 hours before planting, and that uniform high moisture and a 85 degree F. temperature should be maintained during the first 48 hours of germi nation. A fungicide should be used to treat seeds, and seed coats clamping around the emerging seedlings should be removed man ually. Once about 10 percent of the seeds have germinated, the temperature should be lowered to 75 degrees F. Plants should be ready for transplanting to the field in three weeks and should not have more than three true leaves. In addition to poor germination, Maryland researchers have observed some additional prob lems with seedless watermelons: hollow heart, poor internal color, and seediness. These defects ranged from nonexistent to severe, depending, upon the variety and the season grown - the presence of any of these defects detracted from the overall quality of the fruit. Seedless watermelons arc still considered a novelty item in many areas, and production costs arc high because of their special growth requirements. However, their profit potential is also high. The next few years should deter mine whether a consistent and profitable market for seedless watermelons will develop, and whether this market is separate from or competitive with seeded watermelons. Meanwhile, many vegetable seed companies (both foreign and domestic) arc continu ing their development efforts tow ard new varieties of seedless watermelons. UPS Sum Kendall Drydene j - Farm Drainage & Soil Conservation... 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers