New tech boosts seedless watermelon market

Tuesday 14th July, 11:13 AM JST

SAPPORO —

A Sapporo-based research institute has recently developed new technology to preserve the pollen of seedless watermelons for more than a year, raising hopes that fruit-growers can expand the market on a wide scale and create a new revenue source. A seedless melon is created by exposing the male flower’s pollen to X-rays, but the processed pollen can be preserved for only a few days.

The artificial pollination process also requires a great deal of farm labor, making mass production difficult. But the National Agricultural Research Center for the Hokkaido Region has invented technology to preserve the X-ray-exposed pollen by packing it in bags filled with nitrogen that are then frozen at minus 25 degrees. The new technology will allow a large company to process pollen on a large-scale basis, considerably reducing the production cost for farmers, the institute said.

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13 Comments

IchyaWarFare at 12:01 PM JST - 14th July

Good stuff.
TokyoGas at 12:21 PM JST - 14th July

Seedless melons? Good job, now if they can do the same with grapes...
stirfry at 12:50 PM JST - 14th July

they've been doing that with grapes for 20 years, at least
Beelzebub at 02:25 PM JST - 14th July

Q: What do you call a square, seedless watermelon in Japan?

A: Expensive!
nisegaijin at 03:37 PM JST - 14th July

i eat seeds...
farhaan at 04:14 PM JST - 14th July

it won't be good as normal watermelon. I'll never buy it.
SumoBob at 04:57 PM JST - 14th July

Geez, what is it with Japanese companies or scientists claiming that they've invented something new and revolutionary when it's been used extensively in "gaikoku" for decades already? Seedless watermelon? They've been around most of my life, and I'm 37. The process is labour-intensive and expensive? Seemingly, North American farmers have no real problems creating their product for less than half the retail price for melons in Japan.

Last year there was an article proclaiming that Japanese scientists had discovered that a well-insulated home actually keeps a home cooler during the hot summer as well as warmer in winter.
Altria at 05:04 PM JST - 14th July

Eat the seeds, ya pansies. Or spit them at someone machinegun style.
TheMarion at 05:15 PM JST - 14th July

Keckly Sweets will always be my favorite melon and they grow them in Manteca, Calif. They are big, sweet and I eat them - seeds and all.
noborito at 06:51 PM JST - 14th July

I wish Japanese grapes would catch up with the rest of the world and become seedless. Now could they make Apples, Oranges, Grapefruits, and Peaches without the center seed/s.
ca1ic0cat at 02:33 AM JST - 15th July

But is it cube shaped? If it's not cube shaped I don't want it.
fuguyoutoo at 12:18 AM JST - 18th July

Sumobob, I agree "Geez, what is it with Japanese companies or scientists claiming that they've invented something new and revolutionary when it's been used extensively in "gaikoku" for decades already? Seedless watermelon? They've been around most of my life, and I'm 37."

I can't believe that Japan is just now getting around to appreciating the seedless watermelon ! I took the wife stateside a few years ago and it's all she could talk about. Sure enough though as soon as we got back to Japan, not a word about that miracle melon from the west ! Gotta love the US.
elbudamexicano at 08:52 AM JST - 18th July

Not a pansy but I will never forget the time I went to Thailand and found packets of WATERMELON SEEDS, dried, salted and I guess they use them as beer snacks down in Thailand?? And to think, they we spit them out in richer countries. Mottainai! What a waste of good possible beer snacks??