Dual purpose pollenizer watermelons

Abstract

The application relates to the field of plant breeding, in particular watermelon breeding. Provided are diploid watermelon plants (and seeds from which these plants can be grown) which produce small, diploid, red watermelon fruits. Also provided are small, diploid watermelon fruits having an average weight of less than 0.9 kg and containing tomato-seed size seeds.

1 . A diploid plant of the species  Citrullus lanatus , wherein said plant is homozygous for the HMBN mutant allele and produces fruits having an average weight of less than 0.9 kg at maturity of said fruit, and wherein the plant comprises a deletion of SEQ ID NO: 1 on chromosome 2 and produces seeds in said fruits having an average seed length of less than 6 mm when said deletion is in homozygous form. 
     
     
         2 . The plant according to  claim 1 , having an average fruit weight of equal to or less than 0.7 kg at maturity of said fruit. 
     
     
         3 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the average percent Total Soluble Solids (TSS) of said fruits is at least 7.5%, 8%, 9%, or 10%. 
     
     
         4 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the fruit flesh has a red color. 
     
     
         5 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant produces at least 30 male flowers at day 22 from flowering. 
     
     
         6 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant produces an average number of fruits of at least 10 per plant. 
     
     
         7 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said fruits have an average fruit length of 12 cm or less and an average fruit width of 11 cm or less at maturity of said fruit. 
     
     
         8 . A diploid watermelon fruit obtainable from a plant according to  claim 1 , having a fruit weight of less than 0.7 kg at maturity of said fruit and being homozygous for the HMBN mutant allele and comprising seeds in said fruits having an average seed length of less than 6.0 mm, wherein said fruit lacks SEQ ID NO: 1 in its genome. 
     
     
         9 . The diploid watermelon fruit according to  claim 8 , wherein said fruit has an average fruit weight of equal to or less than 0.66 kg at maturity of said fruit. 
     
     
         10 . A container comprising a plurality of fruits according to  claim 8 . 
     
     
         11 . A watermelon plant or seed having the plant according to  claim 1  as male or female parent. 
     
     
         12 . A transplant or vegetative propagation of a plant according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . Seeds or transplants from which a plant according to  claim 1  can be grown. 
     
     
         14 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the HMBN mutant allele and the deletion of SEQ ID NO: 1 on chromosome 2 are obtainable from seeds deposited under accession number NCIMB 42704. 
     
     
         15 . A method for producing diploid and triploid watermelon fruits in one field, said method comprising:
 (a) interplanting diploid pollenizer plants according to  claim 1  and triploid hybrid watermelon plants in one field;   (b) allowing pollination of flowers of the triploid hybrid plants with pollen of the diploid pollenizer plants and allowing pollination of flowers of the diploid pollenizer plants with pollen of the diploid pollenizer plants; and   (c) harvesting fruits produced on the triploid hybrid plants and, optionally, harvesting fruits produced on the diploid pollenizer plants.   
     
     
         16 . A method for producing diploid watermelon fruits having an average weight of less than 0.9 kg and producing seeds having an average length of less than 6.0 mm, said method comprising:
 (a) growing a plant according to  claim 1 ;   (b) pollinating the female flowers of said plant with pollen of said plant; and   (c) harvesting the fruits produced on said plant.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the HMBN mutant allele and the deletion of SEQ ID NO: 1 on chromosome 2 are obtainable from seed deposited under accession number NCIMB 42704. 
     
     
         18 . A plant cell, an ovule, pollen, a root-stock or a scion of a plant according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant is a hybrid. 
     
     
         20 . A method for screening a watermelon plant or plant part, comprising
 detecting the presence or absence of a deletion of SEQ ID NO: 1 on chromosome 2 in the genome of said watermelon plant, and optionally detecting the presence or absence of the HMBN mutant allele.