Effect of Rootstocks and Grafting Methods on Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Production

Origin and emergence of the sweet dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Watermelons, Citrullus species (Cucurbitaceae), are native to Africa and have been cultivated since ancient times. The fruit flesh of wild watermelons is watery, but typically hard-textured, pale-coloured and bland or bitter. The familiar sweet dessert watermelons, C. lanatus, featuring non-bitter, tender, well-coloured flesh, have a narrow genetic base, suggesting that they...

Lycopene and Citrulline Contents in Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

Lycopene and citrulline contents of 9 diploids (2X) and their artificially induced autotetraploids (4X) and autotriploids (3X) were determined in mature fruit. Changes in lycopene and citrulline during fruit development was studied using fruit of variety XYXA with three different ploidy levels from 15 to 40 days after pollination (DAP). Polyploids, especially triploids, had higher levels of lyc...

Recombinant Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus) Hydroperoxide Lyase and Uses Thereof

Effect of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Flesh Extract on Sexual Behavior of Male Rats

The effects of red watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) flesh extract on male sexual behavior as well as its adverse effects were investigated using animal models. The suspension of the flesh extract was administered orally at doses of 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg to different groups of male rats (n = 5) daily for 22 days. The receptive female rats were prepared by hormonal treatment. The mating behavior ...

Comparison of ploidy level screening methods in watermelon: Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai

Direct (chromosome counting) and indirect (flow cytometry, stomatal size, chloroplast number of the guard cells and morphological observations) methods were tested in order to determine the ploidy levels of haploid and diploid watermelon plants of the cultivars Sugar Baby and Halep Karasi. The results revealed that all the techniques tested can be used successfully. It was determined that while...