Watermelon facts

Watermelon is believed to own originated within the desert of Africa. the primary recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly five,000 years agone in Egypt and is represented in Egyptian hieroglyphics on walls of their ancient buildings. Watermelons were usually placed within the burial tombs of kings to nourish them within the life.

From there, watermelons unfold throughout countries on the Mediterranean by approach of bourgeois ships. By the tenth century, watermelon found its thanks to China, that is currently the world's favored producer of watermelons.

The thirteenth century found watermelon unfold through the remainder of Europe via the Moors.

Southern food scholarly person, John Egerton, believes watermelon created its thanks to the us with African slaves as he states in his book, "Southern Food."

About 200-300 varieties area unit adult within the U.S. and Mexico, though there area unit regarding fifty varieties that area unit very talked-about. you'll do an internet search or contact a seed company to seek out out a lot of regarding common and historic watermelon varieties. the fashionable watermelon lover sees his or her watermelon choices as these 5 types: Seeded, Seedless, Mini, Yellow and Orange.

• The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly five,000 years agone in Egypt.
• Watermelon is ninety two water.
• Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the botanic family Curcurbitaceae. it's cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
• By weight, watermelon is that the most-consumed melon within the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and winter melon.
• Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
• The first reference book printed within the U.S. in 1776 contained a direction for watermelon rind pickles.
• Updated! in line with Guinness World Records, the world's heaviest watermelon was adult by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee in 2013, deliberation in at 350.5 lbs. wish to a lot of regarding however Chris grew a large watermelon? verify half one, half 2 Associate in Nursingd half 3 of an interview with Chris.
• The us presently ranks fifth in worldwide production of watermelon. xliv states grow watermelons with American state, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona systematically leading the country in production.

Seedless watermelons were unreal over fifty years agone, and that they have few or no seeds. after we say seeds, we have a tendency to area unit talking regarding mature seeds, the black ones. Oftentimes, the white seed coats wherever a seed didn't mature area unit assumed to be seeds. however this isn’t the case! they're utterly safe to swallow whereas intake, and don’t worry - no seeds can grow in your abdomen.

So, however area unit stoneless watermelons grown? Chromosomes area unit the building blocks that offer characteristics, or traits, to living things as well as plants and watermelons. Watermelon breeders discovered that crossing a diploid plant (bearing the quality 2 sets of chromosomes) with a tetraploid plant (having four sets of chromosomes) leads to a fruit that produces a polyploid seed. (Yes, it's 3 sets of chromosomes). This polyploid seed is that the seed that produces stoneless watermelons!

In different words, a stoneless watermelon may be a sterile hybrid that is formed by crossing male spore for a watermelon, containing twenty two chromosomes per cell, with a feminine watermelon flower with forty four chromosomes per cell. once this seeded fruit matures, the small, white seed coats within contain thirty three chromosomes, rendering it sterile and incapable of manufacturing seeds. this can be almost like the mule, made by crossing a horse with a donkey. This method doesn't involve genetic modification.