Watermelons as Food in the 22 Century

Watermelons Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Mansf. were reported to be growing in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, Mediterranean Coasts, Europe and America in the late 1500s. Growth spread to Japan from South China and Southeast Asia. Fruits were basic food for people and animals in these countries, however the fruits bore little resemblance to current cultivars in size, shape, color and internal food qualities. Since reproduction in watermelon and other species of cucurbits is monoecious, which means they are largely cross-pollinated, populations developed that were very hetrozygous. Selective plant breeding was not in practice at that time so germ plasm was highly diverse.