• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.932-940
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• 2015

One of the main factors restricting production of triploid seedless watermelon is poor germination due to weak embryos, thick seed coats, and larger air spaces. This study was carried out to investigate the priming effects of different concentrations of chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), fusicoccin, and gibberellic acid (GA) on germination and seedling uniformity of triploid watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). Three commercial triploid cultivars, Seedless Plus, Sinus, and Sizero, were pretreated with water and different levels of $H_2O_2$ (2 and 4%), fusicoccin (FC: 1, 5, and $10{\mu}M$), and GA (1, 5, and $10{\mu}M$). The present findings helped to find optimal priming conditions for improving germination of triploid watermelon. Treatment with $5{\mu}M$ GA and hydropriming helped to break seed dormancy, enhancing the final germination percentages in all triploid cultivars and increasing the germination index in Sizero. These seed-priming treatments could be used on large scale for industrial applications. Moreover, hydropriming provides a simple, effective, and costless method to improve seed germination and seedling vigor of Sinus and Sizero varieties.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2023

To apply UV-C as a non-heating sterilization method to increase the microbiological safety of fresh seedless watermelon products, reductions in E. coli and quality changes by treatment dose (0, 2, 4, 8, 14, 20 kJ/m²) were investigated. The pH, sugar content, and hardness of watermelon inoculated with E. coli were not significantly different according to the UV-C treatment dose, but the polyphenol content was significantly decreased compared to the controls (425.4 GAE ㎍/g F.W.). When treated with 2 and 4 kJ/m², the lycopene content was 31.6 and 30.9 ㎍/g F.W., respectively, which was increased compared to the controls (28.5 ㎍/g F.W.). The arginine and citrulline content was also significantly increased compared to the controls. The number of E. coli was significantly decreased compared to the controls following UV-C treatment. Considering the degree of E. coli reduction, lycopene content, arginine content, citrulline content, and UV-C irradiation time, subsequent experiments were conducted by selecting a UV-C treatment dose of 2 kJ/m². The results of confirming the degree of reduction in the number of E. coli colonies by a single treatment and combined treatment with UV-C 2 kJ/m² and 70% ethanol showed that the combined treatment was most effective as colonies were decreased by 2.3 log CFU/g compared to the controls. Therefore, it is judged that UV-C 2 kJ/m² radiation and combined treatment with 70% ethanol could be applied as a non-heating sterilization method for fresh watermelon slices.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.656-664
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• 2015

To produce high quality watermelon, three tetraploid watermelon breeding lines (‘SA03-1’, ‘SA06-1’ and ‘SB01-1’) were developed by treatment with different chromosome doubling reagents. To identify the optimal tetraploid inductive conditions, the three watermelon breeding lines were selected by counting the number of doubled chloroplasts in guard cells. Tetraploid induction rates differed depending on the genotypes and treatment with doubling reagents. However, the highest induction rate occurred with 1.0% colchicine (82.2%). These putative tetraploid lines were re-confirmed for ploidy using flow cytometric analysis and chromosome counting. The internode length of the tetraploid breeding lines was different when the leaf size was larger in all three tetraploid lines compared to their diploids. The fruit weight of the tetraploid fruits for ‘SA03-1’ and ‘SB01-1’ was lower than for their diploid, and the rind thickness and total sugar content (°Brix) of tetraploid SB01-1 were significantly different from those of its diploid. Tetraploid lines were sterile, yielded a lower number of seeds per fruit for ‘SA03-1’ (21), ‘SA06-1’ (62), and ‘SB01-1’ (34.7), and the seeds were larger and thicker than those of their diploids. These tetraploid breeding results will be useful for breeding new seedless watermelon cultivars.