Enhanced pollenizer and method for increasing seedless watermelon yield

• US 6,759,576 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Syngenta Seeds, LLC (China National Chemical Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Syngenta Participations AG (China National Chemical Corporation)
• Inventors: Williams, Tom Vare, Zhang, Xingping
• Primary Examiner(s): KUBELIK, ANNE R
• Application Number:
  US10/091,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20030172412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 800/260, 800/308
• US Class Current: 800/308
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 1/121 Plant growth habits
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 5/08 Fruits
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 6/342 Citrullus lanatus [watermelon]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/10 in agriculture

Abstract

An enhanced, diploid pollenizer watermelon plant and method used to maximize the yield of triploid seedless watermelons per area. The enhanced pollenizer watermelon plant of the invention is either a hybrid variety, an open-pollinated variety or a synthetic variety, that exhibits the characteristics of lacy vine, small leaves, prolific male flowers, small fruit with a brittle rind that splits when the fruit is overripe or breaks when relatively small physical forces are applied. The watermelon plant of the invention is also characterized by extended flowering duration, thereby increasing the number of triploid watermelon flowers that are pollinated and set fruit. The method for producing a seedless watermelon fruit, includes the steps of providing a pollenizer diploid watermelon plant, extending the duration of flowering of the pollenizer plant while reducing the number of such plants needed to pollenize the same number of triploid watermelon plants, and maximizing dispersal of the pollenizer watermelon plant throughout the field of triploid watermelon plants.

Claims

1. Seed of diploid watermelon line NO1F3203B, wherein representative seed of said line is having been deposited under ATCC Accession No:

PTA-4856.

22. A method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit, wherein the method comprises the steps of

a) interplanting seed of a diploid watermelon line according to claim 1 and triploid watermelon plants in a field;

b) allowing said seed to grow into diploid watermelon plants; and

c) allowing pollination of said triploid watermelon plants by pollen of said diploid watermelon plants to obtain triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

24. A method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit, wherein the method comprises the steps of

a) interplanting seed of a diploid watermelon line according to claim 1 and seed of triploid watermelon plants in a field;

b) allowing said seed to grow into diploid watermelon plants and triploid watermelon plants, reaspectively; and

c) allowing pollination of said triploid watermelon plants by pollen of said diploid watermelon plants to obtain triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

2. A diploid watermelon plant of line NO1F3203B, wherein representative seed of said line is having been deposited under ATCC Accession No:

PTA-4856.

3. Pollen of the plant of claim 2.

4. An ovule of the plant of claim 2.

5. Fruit of the plant of claim 2, wherein the fruit is produced by self-pollination of the plant.

6. A method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) planting a field with rows of triploid watermelon plants;

b) inter-planting a diploid watermelon plant according to claim 2 within said rows of triploid watermelon plants after every 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, or 10_th triploid plants;

c) allowing pollination of said triploid watermelon plants by pollen of said diploid watermelon plant to obtain triploid, seedless watermelon fruit; and

d) harvesting said triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

7. A method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) planting a field with rows of triploid watermelon plants;

b) planting said field with rows of diploid watermelon plants according to claim 2, wherein the rows of diploid watermelon plants are approximately one-third to two-thirds the width of the rows of triploid watermelon plants; and

c) allowing pollination of said triploid watermelon plants by pollen of said diploid watermelon plants to obtain triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

8. The method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit according to claim 7, wherein the rows of diploid watermelon plants are approximately one-half to two-thirds the width of the rows of triploid watermelon plants.

9. The method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit according to claim 7, wherein said rows of diploid watermelon plants are planted after every two rows of triploid watermelon plants.

10. The method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit according to claim 7, wherein said rows of diploid watermelon plants are planted after every three rows of triploid watermelon plants.

11. The method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit according to claim 7, wherein said rows of diploid watermelon plants are planted every four rows of triploid watermelon plants.

12. The method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit according to claim 7, further comprising harvesting said triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

13. The method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit according to claim 7, wherein the rows of diploid watermelon plants are approximately one-third to one-half the width of the rows of triploid watermelon plants.

14. A method of increasing the yield of triploid, seedless watermelon plants, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) obtaining the diploid watermelon plants according to claim 2 for pollenizing said triploid, seedless watermelon plants;

b) planting said diploid watermelon plants in a field of triploid watermelon plants;

c) allowing pollination of said triploid watermelon plants by pollen of said diploid watermelon plants to obtain triploid, seedless watermelon fruit; and

d) harvesting said triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

15. The method of increasing the yield of triploid, seedless watermelon plants according to claim 14, wherein planting of said diploid watermelon plants is at a ratio of approximately equal to or less than 1 diploid watermelon plant to 2 triploid, seedless watermelon plants.

16. The method of increasing the yield of triploid, seedless watermelon plants according to claim 14, wherein planting of said diploid watermelon plants is at a ratio of approximately equal to or less than 1 diploid watermelon plant to 4 triploid, seedless watermelon plants.

17. A method for producing seeds of a watermelon plant, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) growing in a field the watermelon plant according to claim 2;

b) conducting pollination of said plant; and

c) harvesting seed of said plant.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising drying said seed.

19. A method for producing a hybrid watermelon variety, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) planting in a field a first and a second watermelon plant, wherein said first watermelon plant is the male parent, wherein said second watermelon plant is the female parent, and wherein said first or said second watermelon plant is the watermelon plant according to claim 2;

b) conducting pollination between said first and second watermelon plants; and

c) harvesting seed from said female parent, wherein said seed is seed of a hybrid watermelon variety.

20. A method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) interplanting a diploid watermelon plant according to claim 2 and triploid watermelon plants in a field; and

b) allowing pollination of said triploid watermelon plants by pollen of said diploid watermelon plant to obtain triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

21. The method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit according to claim 19, further comprising harvesting said triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.

23. A method for producing triploid, seedless watermelon fruit, wherein the method comprises the steps of

a) interplanting diploid watermelon plants according to claim 2 and seed of triploid watermelon plants in said field.

b) allowing said seed to grow into triploid watermelon plants;

and

c) allowing pollination of said triploid watermelon plants by pollen of said diploid watermelon plants to obtain triploid, seedless watermelon fruit.