Classifications

• • A01H5/0806—
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01H—NEW PLANTS OR NON-TRANSGENIC PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES
  • A01H6/00—Angiosperms, i.e. flowering plants, characterised by their botanic taxonomy
  • A01H6/34—Cucurbitaceae, e.g. bitter melon, cucumber or watermelon 
  • A01H6/342—Citrullus lanatus [watermelon]
• • A01G1/001—
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G22/00—Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
  • A01G22/05—Fruit crops, e.g. strawberries, tomatoes or cucumbers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01H—NEW PLANTS OR NON-TRANSGENIC PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES
  • A01H1/00—Processes for modifying genotypes ; Plants characterised by associated natural traits
  • A01H1/06—Processes for producing mutations, e.g. treatment with chemicals or with radiation
  • A01H1/08—Methods for producing changes in chromosome number
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01H—NEW PLANTS OR NON-TRANSGENIC PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES
  • A01H5/00—Angiosperms, i.e. flowering plants, characterised by their plant parts; Angiosperms characterised otherwise than by their botanic taxonomy
  • A01H5/08—Fruits
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01H—NEW PLANTS OR NON-TRANSGENIC PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES
  • A01H5/00—Angiosperms, i.e. flowering plants, characterised by their plant parts; Angiosperms characterised otherwise than by their botanic taxonomy
  • A01H5/10—Seeds
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01H—NEW PLANTS OR NON-TRANSGENIC PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES
  • A01H6/00—Angiosperms, i.e. flowering plants, characterised by their botanic taxonomy
  • A01H6/78—Rutaceae, e.g. lemons or limes
• • A23L1/212—
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of watermelon breeding and watermelon improvement.
• triploid hybrids therefore, need to be pollinated by a diploid pollenizer to produce watermelon fruit.
• Triploid plants are, therefore, interplanted with pollenizer plants for fruit production.
• the “seedless” fruit produced after pollination on the triploid hybrid plant are often not truly seedless, but may contain some undeveloped, small, pale seeds, which are edible.
• Plants are generally planted at a ratio of 1 pollenizer per every 2-4 triploid plants.
• Triploid plants and pollenizers are either planted in separate rows (e.g. 1 row of pollenizer and 2-4 rows of triploids), or interplanted within rows (e.g. planting 1 pollenizer plant in between 2 to 3 triploid plants in the same row), or interplanted in narrow rows between rows of triploids (see US 2006/0168701 Table 2).
• the fruit produced on the pollenizer plants preferably has a different rind pattern from the fruit on the triploid hybrids, so that these can be easily distinguished. Until now generally the fruits produced on dedicated pollenizer plants are not harvested or discarded and only the seedless triploid fruits are sold.
• dedicated pollenizer plants which provide sufficient staminate flowers and sufficient viable pollen throughout the season to increase triploid fruit yield.
• These dedicated pollenizers include for example varieties Polimax and Jenny (Nunhems), Sidekick (Harris Morin), Companion (Seminis) and the Super-Pollenizers SP-1 and SP-4 (Syngenta). These dedicated pollenizers can be divided into two categories based on their vegetative growth type, which is either of the standard vine length e.g. Jenny and SP-1 and SP-4, or the ‘compact’ vine length, e.g. Companion or Sidekick.
• US2009/0288183 Gold Seed Co. LLC
• Escort-4 a pollinizer which produces small fruits having reduced sugar for type 2 diabetics, referred to as a “dual purpose reduced sugar watermelon”.
• the fruits are said to have an average weight of 4.0 lbs (1.8 kg) and a size of 5-7 inches long (12.7-17.7 cm) ⁇ 4-5 inches wide (10.1-12.7 cm).
• the fruits of Escort-4 are said to have approximately 1 ⁇ 3 less sugar content than commercial diploid varieties, such as Sangria (Syngenta Inc.).
• the fruits are preferably red fleshed, more preferably dark red fleshed, with a RHS rating of 39 or higher (not pink red or coral red or yellow-red).
• the average fruit brix is at least about 7.5% or higher.
• the fruits are preferably red fleshed, more preferably dark red fleshed with a RHS rating of 39 or higher (not pink red or coral red or yellow-red).
• the average fruit brix is at least about 7.5% or higher.
• the term “plant” includes the whole plant or any parts or derivatives thereof, preferably having the same genetic makeup as the plant from which it is obtained, such as plant organs (e.g. harvested or non-harvested fruits, leaves, etc.), plant cells, plant protoplasts, plant cell- or tissue-cultures from which whole plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant cell clumps, plant transplants, seeds from which the plant can be grown and seeds produced by the plant, seedlings, plant cells that are intact in plants, plant clones or micropropagations, or parts of plants, such as plant cuttings, embryos, pollen, ovules, fruits (e.g.
• harvested tissues or organs flowers, leaves, clonally propagated plants, roots, stems, root tips, grafts (scions and/or root stocks) and the like. Also any developmental stage is included, such as seedlings, cuttings prior or after rooting, etc.
• a watermelon plant such as a triploid plant or pollenizer plant, encompasses not only an ungrafted plant, but also a plant with a rootstock of a different plant, such as a gourd or squash rootstock, another watermelon rootstock, a transgenic rootstock, etc.
• the term “variety” or “cultivar” means a plant grouping within a single botanical taxon of the lowest known rank, which can be defined by the expression of the characteristics resulting from a given genotype or combination of genotypes.
• allele(s) means any of one or more alternative forms of a gene at a particular locus, all of which alleles relate to one trait or characteristic at a specific locus.
• alleles of a given gene are located at a specific location, or locus (loci plural) on a chromosome.
• loci plural locus on a chromosome.
• One allele is present on each chromosome of the pair of homologous chromosomes.
• a diploid plant species may comprise a large number of different alleles at a particular locus. These may be identical alleles of the gene (homozygous) or two different alleles (heterozygous).
• locus means a specific place or places or a site on a chromosome where for example a gene or genetic marker is found.
• “Diploid plant” refers to a plant, vegetative plant part(s), or seed from which a diploid plant can be grown, having two sets of chromosome, designated herein as 2n.
• Triploid plant refers to a plant, vegetative plant part(s), or seed from which a triploid plant can be grown, having three sets of chromosomes, designated herein as 3n.
• Tetraploid plant refers to a plant, vegetative plant part(s), or seed from which a tetraploid plant can be grown, having four sets of chromosomes, designated herein as 4n.
• Polylenizer plant or “pollenizer” refers to the (inbred or hybrid) diploid plant, or parts thereof (e.g. its pollen or scion), suitable as pollenizer for inducing fruit set on triploid plants.
• a pollenizer plant is, thus, able to lead to good fruit set (and good triploid fruit yield) of triploid plants, by producing an appropriate amount of pollen at the appropriate day-time and for an appropriate period of time, e.g. at least during peak flowering time of the triploid female plants.
• a good triploid fruit yield is, for example, a yield comparable to the yield obtainable when using Polimax (produced by Nunhems) as pollenizer (see e.g. Example 3).
• the term “edible” is used herein to refer to fruits marketable for human consumption, especially fresh consumption of the fruit flesh.
• the fruits have at harvest at least good, preferably very good flavor properties (i.e. taste and odor).
• the fruits preferably have an average level of Total Soluble Solids of at least about 7.5% or more.
• Good fruit flesh color is also an important criterion for marketability for human consumption.
• red-fleshed fruits it is an embodiment that the flesh color has an average RHS rating of at least 39 or above. If red-fleshed fruits are measured on a scale of 1 (white) to 10 (dark red), the fruits have an average rating of at least 7 or more.
• Hybrid triploid plant is a triploid plant grown from hybrid, triploid seed obtained from cross fertilizing a male diploid parent with a female tetraploid parent.
• seedless fruit are triploid fruit which contain no or few mature seeds. The fruit may contain one or more small, edible, white ovules. Plants which produce seedless fruit may herein be referred to as “seedless”.
• Interplanting refers to the combination of two or more types of seeds and/or transplants sown or transplanted on the same field, especially the sowing and/or transplanting of pollenizers in the same field as triploid hybrid plants (for seedless fruit production on the triploid plants and diploid fruit production on the pollenizer plants).
• the pollenizer may either be planted in separate rows or interplanted with the triploid plants in the same row (e.g. in hills within each row). Pollenizers may also be planted in between rows of triploids. Also seeds of pollenizers and triploid hybrids may be mixed prior to seeding, resulting in random seeding.
• the transplants of the triploid hybrid plants and/or pollenizer plants may also comprise a rootstock of a different plant. Suitable rootstocks are known in the art. Also encompassed are methods where the triploid hybrid plant and the pollenizer plant are grafted together onto one rootstock.
• Plant or “planted” refers to seeding (direct sowing) or transplanting seedlings (plantlets) into a field by machine or hand.
• “Vegetative propagation” refers to propagation of plants from vegetative tissue, e.g. by in vitro propagation or grafting methods (using scions).
• “Vegetative type” or “growth type” or “vine type” refers to the combination of growth characteristics of the vegetative parts of a plant line or variety, such as (average) internode length, (average) length of the main vine, (average) length of the shortest and longest branch, average number of primary branches, etc. Three vegetative types can be distinguished: The “normal/standard vine type”, the “compact vine type” and an “intermediate vine type” between these two.
• “Compact vine type” refers to the vegetative type of a plant or plant line or variety having an average internode length of about 4.0-6.5 cm, especially an average internode length of equal to or below 6.5 or 6.0 cm, e.g. equal to or below 5.0, 4.5 or 4.0 cm and/or an average longest branch of equal to or less than about 170 cm, preferably 160 cm, preferably equal to or less than 150 cm or 145 cm, preferably equal to or less than 140 or 130 cm.
• Examples of compact vine types are Companion and Sidekick (U.S. Pat. No. 7,314,79).
• a “standard vine type” refers to the vegetative type of a plant or plant line or variety having an average internode length of more than 6.5 cm, preferably equal to or more than about 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 cm and/or an average longest branch of equal to or more than 225 cm, e.g. equal to or more than 230 cm, 250 cm, 300 cm, 350 cm or more. Examples are varieties Ace, Jenny, SP-1, SP-4.
• the invention provides plants (and seeds from which such plants are grown) of the species Citrullus lanatus , wherein said plant is suitable as a pollenizer in triploid watermelon production, is diploid and produces marketable diploid fruits having an average weight of less than 2.0 kg, preferably less than 1.8 kg, more preferably equal to or less than 1.7, 1.6, 1.5, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, 1.0 kg, more preferably equal to or less than 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.65 kg, such as equal to or less than 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.35, 0.3 or 0.25 kg at harvest (i.e. at maturity).
• average fruit size is equal to or less than about 0.9 kg (such as 0.8, 0.7, 0.65, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4 kg) but above 0.25 kg.
• average fruit characteristics such as average fruit weight
• several plants of a line or hybrid are grown in one location and 3, 4, 5 or more fruits are harvested from 2, 3, or more plants of the same line and e.g. weighed.
• Reference plant lines (such as known pollenizers) can be grown at the same location (e.g. in the same trial or under the same environmental conditions) as a comparison.
• Fruit diameters can be variable, but preferably average fruit length is less than 12 cm, more preferably equal to or less than about 11.5 or 11 cm, such as equal to or less than 10.5, 10.0, 9.5, 9.0, 8.5 or 8.0 cm, while the average fruit width is preferably less than 11, 10.5 or 10 cm, such as equal to or less than 9.5, 9.0, 8.5, 8.0 cm.
• average fruit dimensions range have ranges of 8.0-12.0 cm average length ⁇ 8.0-11 cm average width.
• at least fruit length is on average below 12 cm, preferably below 11.5 cm, more preferably about 11 cm or less.
• both length and width of the fruits is on average about 11 cm or less.
• the average length by width is 10 ⁇ 11 cm, or less.
• average fruit dimensions for both lengths and width are equal to or below 10.5 cm. These dimensions are particularly encompassed for the diploid fruit weights of less than 0.65 kg on average. For the heavier diploid fruits (e.g. less than 1.8 kg but above 0.65 kg) also larger dimensions are encompassed herein, such as an average length of equal to or less than 17 cm (such as 16, 15, 14, 13, 12 cm) and an average width of equal to or less than 15 cm, such as 14, 13, 12 cm).
• the fruits, i.e. the fruit flesh, produced on the pollenizer plants are edible at maturity.
• the flesh color of the mature fruits of the diploid plants according to the invention is in one embodiment red, having an RHS mini color chart value (Royal Horticultural Society mini color chart) of 39 or higher, especially between 39 and 41.
• the average percent Total Soluble Solids (% TTS; herein also referred to as degrees Brix, or ° Brix) of the fruits is at maturity at least about 7.5%, preferably at least about 8% or 8.5%, more preferably at least about 9% or 9.5%, and even more preferably at least about 10%, 10.5%, 11%, 11.5%, 12%, 12.5%, 13%, or more.
• Average TSS can, for example, be determined using a refractometer as described in the Examples.
• the average percentage TSS of the diploid fruits produced by the pollenizer plants according to the invention can be increased by traditional breeding techniques, e.g. by crossing the plants provided herein with watermelon plants comprising high TSS and selection of progeny (e.g. obtainable by one or more selfings and/or backcross populations) producing fruits with higher TSS values while maintaining small fruit size.
• the diploid fruits according to the invention are edible, i.e. they have fruit quality characteristics which make them marketable for human consumption. This means that the fruits have good flavor properties (no off-flavors etc.). For fruits to have at least good flavor properties a minimum average brix of at least about 7.5 degrees is desired. Flavor properties can be determined and scored (e.g. as bad, good, very good) by trained test-panels using known methods for evaluating sensory properties of fruits (Karen L. Bett, Ch 13, Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables, Science, Technology, and Market; Edited by Olusola Lamikanra, CRC Press 2002, Print ISBN: 978-1-58716-030-1). Selection for good flavor includes test panels to select against bitterness and other unpleasant flavors, such as caramel flavor. Watermelon checks of varieties which have good flavor properties (e.g. Allsweet, Crimson Sweet) are preferably included in the test.
• the fruits should preferably also not be susceptible to what is known as “fruit cracking” and/or should preferably not contain the brittle gene as present in SP-1.
• the Super Pollenizers such as SP-1 bear brittle fruits, which makes the fruits (in particular the fruit flesh) unmarketable as fresh produce (although the seeds contained within the fruits can be harvested and marketed).
• Crack-resistance is generally selected for during breeding (e.g. in field observations and/or using for example pressure tests or other tests), as cracking is an undesired fruit quality characteristic. See also Haikun et al. 2010, Acta Hort. (ISHS) 871:223-230).
• plants can be selected which produce small, edible fruits, as described above, with increased or reduced rind thickness, increased or reduced rind brittleness, various skin/rind colors (e.g. light green; dark green; green-striped with narrow, medium or wide stripes; grey types; with or without spotting; Golden yellow) and rind surfaces (e.g. furrowed or smooth surface), flesh structure/flesh firmness, different fruit shapes (elongate, oval, blocky, spherical or round), higher brix content, higher lycopene and/or vitamin content, different sugar:acid ratios, very good fruit flavour, etc.
• various skin/rind colors e.g. light green; dark green; green-striped with narrow, medium or wide stripes; grey types; with or without spotting; Golden yellow
• rind surfaces e.g. furrowed or smooth surface
• flesh structure/flesh firmness e.g. furrowed or smooth surface
• different fruit shapes elongate, oval, blocky, spherical or round
• Rind thickness is a characteristic which influences damage during handling and transporting (too thin or too brittle rind), but thin rinds may also be desirable for consumers.
• the fruits have a thin rind, such as an average rind thickness (measured on the side) of at least about 0.2 cm, 0.3 cm, 0.4 cm, but less than 0.5 cm, more preferably less than or equal to 0.4 cm.
• the rind is thicker than the rind of SP-4 fruit, but thinner than the rind of Polimax, and optionally thinner than the rind of Sidekick fruit.
• thicker rinds may be desired and small fruits having a rind of 0.5 or more cm, such as 0.6 and 0.7 cm are also encompassed herein.
• the rind of the fruits preferably does not crack easily (i.e. is cracking-resistant), both in fruits with thin rinds and thick rinds.
• Flesh firmness of the diploid fruits is preferably at least about 0.8 (average firmness in kg as in Example 1), more preferably at least about 0.9, 1.0, or more. Flesh firmness can be increased by e.g. crossing with watermelons having firmer fruit flesh and selection for firmer flesh without increasing fruit size. Plants producing fruits with ultra-firm flesh are, for example, described in US2006/0005284.
• diploid plants provided herein are suitable as pollenizers, which means that they produce sufficient pollen at the right time of the day and for an appropriate period of time to induce fruit set in triploid hybrids, leading to a (average) triploid fruit yield at least comparable to that obtained when using e.g. Polimax as pollinator.
• the plants according to the invention need not be sold or marketed as pollenizer for triploid fruit production and need not be used as pollenizer in triploid fruit production. They may also be marketed and/or used solely for diploid fruit production on their own.
• the pollenizer plants preferably produce a large number of male flowers at the appropriate time during flowering of the triploid hybrids, preferably at least about 35 open male flowers at day 15 and/or at least about 30 open male flowers at day 22 from the first day of flowering, although the number of male flowers is not critical in determining triploid fruit set, as long as sufficient pollen is produced by the available male flowers to lead to good triploid fruit set.
• the pollenizer plants are also used for diploid fruit production, also sufficient female flowers must be produced by the pollenizers to ensure their dual purpose.
• Polimax had only about 18 open male flowers at day 15 and day 20.
• the pollenizers according to the invention may have a lower number of male flowers than in the Examples in Table 3, e.g. plants having about the same number of open male flowers as Polimax are encompassed herein, i.e. pollenizers having at least about 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, or more open male flowers at day 15 and/or at day 22 from the 1 st day of flowering are also an embodiment of the invention.
• pollinizers are indeed suitable for dual-purposes, i.e. pollination and fruit production of triploid hybrids and/or pollination and fruit production on the diploid plants themselves (fruits produced by self-pollination of the pollenizer plant).
• the pollenizer plants are dual purpose pollenizer plants.
• the average number of open male flowers at day 22 from flowering is at least 15, 18, 20, 25 or 30 or more.
• the pollenizer plants according to the invention are hybrid diploids (F 1 diploids) and not open pollinated (OP).
• the dual purpose pollenizer plants are not of the “edible seed watermelon” or “confectionary” type, as for example produced in variety San Juan (Native Seeds). These types of watermelon are produced to harvest the seeds for consumption or seed oil production and the fruits produce large, black or red edible seeds with soft seed coats, see e.g. Zhang 1996, Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 19:66-67 (article 24) and Zhang and Wang, 1990, Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 13:43-44 (article 16).
• the seeds produced in the diploid fruits according to the invention are small (preferably tomato seed size to medium seed size, but not large) and are not suitable for seed harvest and seed consumption.
• the seeds of the diploid fruits are on average shorter than or equal to 5 mm in length, for example shorter than or equal to 4 mm, 3.5 mm, 3 mm, 2.5 mm, 2 mm, 1.5 mm or 1 mm in length.
• the dual purpose pollenizer plants not only produce very small, edible fruits, but also high numbers of marketable fruits.
• a plant according to the invention produces at maturity on average at least about 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or more fruits per plant, more preferably at least 25 fruits, more preferably at least about 27, 28, 29, 30, 35 or more fruits.
• the pollenizer plants according to the invention can be combined with different vine types, such as compact vine type, standard vine type or, most preferably an “intermediate” vine type using normal breeding techniques.
• the pollenizers according to the invention may be crossed with a standard vine type and progeny may be selected which have an intermediate vine type.
• seedlings, scions and rootstocks, as well as cells and tissues of the pollenizer plants are encompassed herein.
• plant parts comprise the genetic determinants for producing dual purpose pollenizer plants according to the invention.
• whole plants obtained from seedlings, scions and rootstocks, as well as cells and tissues of the pollenizer plants retain all the physiological and morphological characteristcs of the pollenizer plants according to the invention when grown under the same environmental conditions.
• harvested diploid fruits are provided, such as packaged whole fruits or fruit parts and/or processed fruits or fruit parts.
• progeny of the plants according to the invention are provided herein, such as seeds obtainable by crossing a pollenizer plant described herein with another watermelon plant and/or by selfing a plant according to the invention to produce F1 seeds (and F1 plants grown from these seeds, as well as fruit produced by self-pollinating the F1 plants).
• plant cells, cell cultures or tissue cultures of plants according to the invention as well as root stocks, scions, transplants and vegetative propagations of plants according to the invention or of progeny thereof.
• a representative sample of seeds of the plants according to the invention are deposited under accession number . . . (WH 9306), or accession number NCIMB 41773 (WH9307), or accession number . . . (WH9308), or accession number . . . (WH9309), or accession number . . . (WH9311), or accession number . . . (WH9313), or accession number . . . (WH9317), or accession number . . . (WH9318), or accession number . . . (WH9319), or accession number . . . (WH9320), or accession number . . . (WH9321).
• Plants having the genetic determinants for producing small, edible fruits are, therefore, obtainable from the deposited seeds.
• the genetic determinants (i.e. the combination of genes) for producing small, edible fruits can be transferred to other watermelon plants, for example to create other diploid pollenizers with this phenotype or other diploids (open pollinated or inbred lines, or hybrid diploids).
• This can be done by using the pollenizers according to the invention as a parental line in breeding methods, i.e. as male or female parent in a cross with another watermelon plant.
• Known breeding methods can be used alone or in combination, such as (but not limited to) recurrent selection, pedigree breeding, backcross breeding, inbred development, hybrid testing, marker assisted breeding, etc.
• Diploids may also be used for tetraploid development, using e.g. colchicine treatment. Progeny are then selected which retain the small fruit dimensions and fruit weight, a brix of at least 7.5% and dual purpose pollenizer characteristics, all as described herein.
• watermelon plants may be used as a starting point to develop dual purpose pollenizer plants producing small, edible fruits according to the invention.
• small fruited cultivars or lines may be used as starting material, such as for example Sidekick (U.S. Pat. No. 7,314,979) and/or SP-1 (WO 03/075641) and/or watermelon plants carrying the “tomato seed” mutant (gene ts) described in Guner and Wehner (2004, HortScience 39(6):1175-1182) and obtainable from gene curator of the Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative), and selecting for fruit quality characteristics (e.g. high brix, good flavor), small fruit size (e.g. small fruit dimensions and e.g. less than 0.9 kg weight) and small seed size in the diploid fruits, as well as pollenizer characteristics (e.g. many male flowers) as described herein.
• fruit quality characteristics e.g. high brix, good flavor
• small fruit size e.g. small fruit dimensions and e.g. less than
• Selection for small seed size encompasses selecting for an average seed length of equal to or less than 8 mm, preferably 7 mm, 6 mm or more preferably equal to or less than 5.0 mm, preferably equal to or less than 4.5 mm, e.g. equal to or less than about 4.0 mm, 3.5 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm or 1.5 mm or 1.0 mm seed length.
• a breeding method for producing diploid dual pupose pollenizers according to the invention comprising:
• Plants obtainable by this method are encompassed herein.
• the breeding population can be provided by using at least one, preferably two small-fruited parents and crossing these, to generate an F1 and further progeny generations (F2, etc.).
• F2 progeny generations
• one of the plants provided herein e.g. WH9307
• the progeny generations are then selected for at least the characteristics described in b).
• one or more hybrid plants is provided, obtained from crossing a pollenizer plant according to the invention with another watermelon plant and harvesting the F1 seeds of said cross.
• the F1 seeds may then be grown into F1 plants and self pollinated or sib-pollinated to produce F2 seeds.
• the parents used in the initial cross differ by one or more characteristics (e.g. disease resistance and fruit size)
• the F2 population will segregate for these trait(s) and the breeder can select plants in this and/or further progeny generations (F3, F4, etc.) which combine the desired traits (e.g. small fruit size and disease resistance).
• the F1 may be backcrossed to the recurrent parent (e.g.
• the pollenizer according to the invention into which a trait is to be introduced) or the F1 may be selfed to produce an F2 population segregating for the trait of interest and selected F2 plants having the trait of interest may be backcrossed to the recurrent parent.
• one or more traits not present in the pollenizer plants according to the invention can be introduced into a pollenizer plant according to the invention, while maintaining the genetic determinants for small diploid fruits.
• other fruit characteristics as described above can be introduced (e.g. darker red flesh color, higher brix, firmer flesh, a different flesh color, etc.), or any other traits can be introduced, such as one or more QTLs for high yield, disease resistance genes, stress tolerance genes (e.g. water stress tolerance), etc.
• resistance to fungal-, bacterial-, viral-diseases, root-knot nematodes and/or insect pests may be introduced.
• resistance to Fusarium wilt Fusarium oxysporum fsp.
• niveum race 0, race 1 and/or race 2, and/or race 3, and/or other new races which may develop Anthracnose ( Colletotrichum lagenarium races 1-7, or other new races), Gummy stem blight, powdery mildew, Verticillium wilt, bacterial fruit blotch, papaya ringspot virus (PRSV), watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) or zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV).
• PRSV papaya ringspot virus
• WMV watermelon mosaic virus
• ZYMV zucchini yellow mosaic virus
• Resistance to Fusarium wilt races 0 and 1 is present in many commercial varieties, and also resistance to race 2 has been identified in PI296341 and PI271769 and is also present in SP-4 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,550,652).
• Anthracnose resistance to race 1 is for examples present in SP-4 and resistance to race 2 in AU-Sweet Scarlet (AW-82-50CS) (Breeder: Alabama Agric. Expt. Station, Auburn University).
• Crimson Sweet has the Ar-1 gene, which provides resistance to anthracnose races 1 and 3. Gummy stem blight resistance is also found in Plant Introduction lines.
• the diploid fruits and/or the triploid fruits are edible and red-fleshed, white-fleshed, orange-fleshed or yellow-fleshed.
• the rind of the diploid fruits is not yellow or Golden (as controlled by the recessive gene go) (Barham 1965, Proc Ameri Soc Hort Sci 67: 487-489).
• triploid hybrid Any triploid hybrid may be used, such as known triploid hybrid varieties.
• Pollination is usually done by bees, and bee hives can be provided to the fields unless sufficient wild bees are naturally present. Pollination can also be performed by manual or mechanical means. Harvest at maturity may be done by hand or mechanized.
• the diploid fruit may be distinguished from the triploid fruit based on the smaller fruit size of the diploid fruit, and/or alternatively by a different rind pattern.
• the rind of the diploid fruits according to the invention is not yellow or golden.
• harvested diploid and triploid fruit are placed into different containers.
• a container comprising solely small diploid fruits according to the invention is provided. Any type of container may be used, e.g. cartons, boxes, etc.
• a method for producing small diploid edible watermelon fruits having an average weight of less than 1.8 kg, 1.7 kg, 1.0 kg, 0.9 kg, 0.8 kg, 0.7 kg, preferably equal to or less than 0.65 kg (but in one embodiment larger than 0.25 kg), is provided comprising:
• Step (b) may be performed by allowing insect pollination or any other means of pollinating.
• a diploid pollenizer plant capable of producing small edible diploid fruits having an average weight of less than 1.8 kg, 1.7 kg, 1.0 kg, 0.9 kg, 0.8 kg, 0.7 kg or equal to or less than 0.65 kg (but in one embodiment larger than 0.25 kg)
• a representative sample of seed containing the genetic elements for producing said small fruits has been deposited under accession number . . . (WH 9306), or accession number NCIMB 41773 (WH9307), or accession number . . . (WH9308), or accession number . . . (WH9309), or accession number . . . (WH9311), or accession number . .
• pollenizer hybrid WH 9307 comprises the genetic elements for producing said small, edible fruits according to the invention and a representative sample of seeds have been deposited under accession number NCIMB 41773.
• this pollenizer is referred to as a representative plant according to the invention, but seeds of the other hybrids or lines are also suitable and when reference to WH9307 or progeny thereof (or parts of any of these) is made, the other hybrids or lines mentioned herein are equally implied.
• a hybrid watermelon seed having as a male or female parent (preferably as a male parent) a diploid pollenizer plant capable of producing small edible diploid fruits having an average weight of less than 1.8 kg, 1.7 kg, 1.0 kg, 0.9 kg, 0.8 kg, 0.7 kg or equal to or less than 0.65 kg (but in one embodiment larger than 0.25 kg) is provided, wherein a representative sample of seed containing the genetic elements for producing said small diploid fruits has been deposited under accession number . . . (WH 9306), or accession number NCIMB 41773 (WH9307), or accession number . . . (WH9308), or accession number . . . (WH9309), or accession number . .
• the fruit of a cross-pollination between a diploid pollenizer plant as pollen donor capable of producing small diploid fruits having an average weight of less than 1.8 kg, 1.7 kg, 1.0 kg, 0.9 kg, 0.8 kg, 0.7 kg or equal to or less than 0.65 kg (but in one embodiment larger than 0.25 kg) is provided, wherein a representative sample of seed containing the genetic elements for producing said small fruits has been deposited under accession number . . . (WH 9306), or accession number NCIMB 41773 (WH9307), or accession number . . . (WH9308), or accession number . . . (WH9309), or accession number . . . (WH9311), or accession number .
• the other watermelon plant is preferably a triploid hybrid and the fruit is triploid and preferably seedless.
• a diploid fruit and/or an inbred diploid seed is provided produced by self pollinating a diploid pollenizer plant capable of producing small edible diploid fruits having an average weight of less than 1.8 kg, 1.7 kg, 1.0 kg, 0.9 kg, 0.8 kg, 0.7 kg or equal to or less than 0.65 kg (but in one embodiment larger than 0.25 kg) is provided, wherein a representative sample of seed containing the genetic elements for producing said small diploid fruits has been deposited under accession number . . . (WH 9306), or accession number NCIMB 41773 (WH9307), or accession number . . . (WH9308), or accession number . . . (WH9309), or accession number . . .
• WH9311 or accession number . . . (WH9313), or accession number . . . (WH9317), or accession number . . . (WH9318), or accession number . . . (WH9319), or accession number . . . (WH9320), or accession number . . . (WH9321).
• plants according to the invention and fruits according to the invention are obtainable from WH 9306, WH9307, WH9308, WH9309, WH9322, WH9313, WH9317, WH9318, WH9319, WH9320, WH9321, or of progeny of any of these.
• Plants obtained (derived), or obtainable (derivable), from plants according to the invention include, therefore, plants obtained by breeding methods, such as selfing, crossing, backcrossing, recurrent selection, double haploid production, marker assisted selection, clonal propagations, transformants, etc., whereby the derived plants produce small, edible fruits according to the invention.
• plants having essentially all the morphological and/or physiological characteristics of WH 9306, WH9307, WH9308, WH9309, WH9322, WH9313, WH9317, WH9318, WH9319, WH9320, WH9321, or of progeny of any of these, are provided.
• Representative examples of physiological and morphological characteristics are provided in Tables 1-5.
• progeny plant of WH 9306, WH9307, WH9308, WH9309, WH9322, WH9313, WH9317, WH9318, WH9319, WH9320 or WH9321 obtained by further breeding with said plant, wherein said progeny plant has essentially all physiological and morphological characteristics of said plant.
• physiological and morphological characteristics include herein at least small, edible fruits and dual purpose pollenizer characteristics as described throughout the description and examples.
• a plant part e.g. a fruit, tissue, cell, cell culture, vegetative propagation, pollen, etc.
• a plant part e.g. a fruit, tissue, cell, cell culture, vegetative propagation, pollen, etc.
• WH9306, WH9307, WH9308, WH9309, WH9322, WH9313, WH9317, WH9318, WH9319, WH9320 or WH9321 e.g. a fruit, tissue, cell, cell culture, vegetative propagation, pollen, etc.
• a plant derived from any of WH 9306, WH9307, WH9308, WH9309, WH9322, WH9313, WH9317, WH9318, WH9319, WH9320 or WH9321, having one or two physiological and/or morphological characteristics which are different from the WH plant listed and which otherwise has essentially all physiological and morphological characteristics of a plant designated WH 9306, WH9307, WH9308, WH9309, WH9322, WH9313, WH9317, WH9318, WH9319, WH9320 or WH932, obtainable by further breeding with the WH plant and/or by selecting a natural or induced mutant, or a somaclonal variant from a population of plants designated WH 9306, WH9307, WH9308, WH9309, WH9322, WH9313, WH9317, WH9318, WH9319, WH9320 or WH9321.
• Applicant(s) maintain a deposit of at least 2500 seeds of hybrid pollenizers mentioned in the Examples, and parent inbred lines, at Nunhems B. V. Applicant has deposited hybrid WH 9307 at the NCIMB on 12 Nov. 2010 under Accession number NCIMB 41773. Access to this deposit will be available during the pendency of this application to persons determined by the Commissioner of Patent and Trademarks to be entitled thereto upon request.
• Rind thickness is measured from the outer edge of the fruit to the boundary between white mesocarp and colored endocarp.
• Table 1 shows that the pollenizers according to the invention produced very small, red, edible fruits.
• the diploid pollenizers according to the invention produced very small, red-fleshed edible fruits.
• Fruit weight in Table 1 is significantly smaller than that of commercial pollenizers such as Sidekick, SP-4 and Polimax.
• Table 2 shows that the pollenizers according to the invention have on average smaller fruit dimensions than the commercial pollenizers.
• the fruit length is on average 11.33 cm or smaller, while in Sidekick the average fruit length is 12 cm.
• the diameter is also smaller, only 10.17 cm or less, compared to 11.33 cm in Sidekick.
• fruit dimensions of equal to or below 11.33 ⁇ 10.17 cm are significantly smaller than 12.00 ⁇ 11.33 cm in Sidekick.
• Table 3 shows mean rind thicknesses per line, measured at two points of the fruit. Thin rinds are an advantage for consumption.
• the pollenizers according to the invention have good, although thin, rind thickness of between 0.30 and 0.47 cm.
• the rind is also not susceptible to cracking, giving the fruits good handling properties.
• Fruits do also not have a brittle or explosive rind.
• the rind pattern of the fruits of all pollenizers according to the invention is a Crimson Sweet type rind pattern (medium-striped or netted), but the small fruit size can also be combined with other rind colors using standard breeding methods.
• the hybrids have a relatively compact growth type, with the (average/pollenizer line of the) longest branch falling between 113.5 and 180.0 cm long and the shortest branch being between 57.0 and 80.0 cm long.
• the average number of primary branches per pollenizer line was between 3 and 3.5.
• the average number of secondary branches per pollenizer line at 30 cm and at 90 cm was between 56.0 and 88.5 (at 30 cm) and between 77.5 and 144.0 cm.
• Internode length ranged between 4.3 and 5.3 on average, depending on the line.
• Leaf length and width is also relatively compact, with leaf widths between 7.1 and 9.4 cm and lengths between 7.8 and 9.1 cm.

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