Space-Bred Watermelons With Chocolate, Pineapple and Milk Flavors Hit Chinese Market

On June 3, the first and only space watermelon cultivation base in Jiangsu province began harvesting and bringing its fruit to market as the watermelons gradually reached maturity.

The watermelons were grown by Jiangsu Zhuangyan Yonghong Ecological Agricultural Technology Co. Ltd. (江苏庄严永红生态农业科技有限公司), located in the Lishui district of Nanjing.

According to the company, the base cultivated four varieties of space-bred watermelons this year. The chocolate-flavored watermelon features a bright green rind with distinct stripes and deep yellow flesh, offering a subtle chocolate aroma and a crisp, juicy texture. The pineapple-flavored variety has a light green patterned rind and pale yellow flesh, delivering a sweet-and-tart taste with hints of pineapple. The milk-flavored watermelon is distinguished by its pale yellow rind and tri-colored flesh in shades of red, yellow and green, complemented by a delicate creamy aroma. The original-flavor variety features a golden rind and vibrant red flesh with a refreshing sweetness, while its tender rind is also edible when fresh.

Once mature, each fruit weighs 2–3 kilograms. All four varieties feature thin skins, soft flesh, a sweet taste and virtually no fibrous residue.

Watermelon sweetness is generally classified into four levels: standard, medium, premium and superior premium. Space watermelons typically reach a sugar content of 15–16%, placing them above the superior premium level, whereas ordinary watermelons usually reach only the medium level.

The seeds of these watermelons were sent into space multiple times aboard spacecraft. Exposure to extreme conditions such as cosmic radiation, high vacuum and microgravity induced genetic mutations affecting geranylacetone, a key compound associated with watermelon flavor. Researchers then conducted targeted breeding and selection based on different flavor characteristics. Only after four generations of breeding and selection, once the traits had stabilized, were the varieties approved for commercial cultivation.

It should be noted that space breeding is fundamentally different from genetic modification. As early as 1981, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the International Atomic Energy Agency recognized the safety of space breeding. Agricultural products developed from space-bred seeds are considered safe for human consumption.

According to Shen Xinrong, an agricultural expert in this field, space watermelons have been selectively bred for stronger stress-resistance traits. Combined with customized bio-fertilizers and soil improvement programs, these characteristics effectively suppress soil-borne diseases and enable continuous cropping. “Three harvests a year are possible, and the same land can be cultivated continuously for 10 years without problems,” Shen said.

The current crop was grown using a greenhouse trellis cultivation system, in which the fruit hangs from the vines. Approximately 1,200 plants can be grown per mu (18,000 plants per hectare), with each plant producing two watermelons, resulting in a yield of around 2,400 fruits per mu (36,000 fruits per hectare).

The watermelons are currently priced at 50 Chinese yuan ($7.38) per fruit, and more than 30,000 fruits have already been pre-ordered. When marketed as premium gift watermelons, the price can exceed 100 yuan ($14.77) per fruit.

Image: ifeng.com

This article was based on a Chinese article. Read the original article.