Over the past few years STARKE AYRES has evaluated several potential new triploid watermelon varieties for their performance in South Africa. This search has now delivered two new seedless varieties that gave exceptional results in different climatic areas. Still in the process of being registered, these two varieties are known by their code names, WM1105* and WM1106*, until commercial names are allocated.
Both these varieties bring new genetic traits to the industry and have the potential to make significant inroads in the seedless watermelon market. WM1105 and WM1106 both produce vigorous plants with a very high yield of large, oval to round, seedless fruit weighing 9kg to 12kg. Their fruit skin is dark green with light-green, irregular, broken stripes that contrast beautifully with the exceptional internal appearance of deep red, crispy flesh. In addition to excellent flavour, the flesh has non-leaching properties and excellent shelf life that make the varieties ideal for fresh-cut processing, half-cut fruit, as well as whole fruit.
These seedless watermelons are speciality varieties that combine exceptional flavour, sweetness and eating quality with the absence of mature, brown seeds give a unique eating experience for discerning consumers. Neither are prone to internal cracking.
