Three times sweeter.
Mark Twain once called it the “fruit of the angels”. But the angels would have pulled quite a face if they had bitten into the “original melon”. Archaeologists found remnants of watermelon seeds in a 5,000-year-old settlement in Libya for the first time. The wild variety was just 50 millimetres in diameter, weighed no more than 80 grams, could only be opened with a hammer, and its green flesh was extremely bitter. It took many generations of selection and breeding to turn it into the sweet, red-fleshed summer snack we know today.
Building further on this watermelon transformation, our challenge was clear: adapting our watermelon varieties to the Turkish market. Turkey is a powerhouse in watermelon production, ranking among the top producers globally with nearly 3.6 million tons harvested annually. Yet, the seed market for watermelons here is relatively small, with an estimated value of 8 to 10 million euros. But how could we break into this established market, with varieties that not only meet but exceed the high expectations of Turkish farmers and consumers?
A strong start
A true eye-opener to me was seeing the success of our watermelon breeding programs in Spain and Brazil. These programs had already produced varieties with high yields and excellent disease resistance. I knew that if we could adapt these varieties to the Turkish climate and agricultural practices, we could make a significant impact. When we established our new breeding site in Antalya in 2022, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring our watermelon expertise to Turkey. This facility, with its greenhouses, plant-raising facility, and dedicated team, was the beginning of something truly exciting.
With a small team but through very close cooperation and a strong focus, we can be extremely fast. With a lot of technological support from the global KWS family, we can achieve such great speed. This will soon translate into new varieties in the market for fruity vegetable crops and even better varieties for the open field vegetables portfolio.
A journey of extensive trialling
The journey began with assembling a passionate team in Antalya, where we focused on three major crops: tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. However, watermelons quickly became a priority. We brought in breeding stock from our programs in Spain and Brazil and started extensive testing on Turkish soil. This wasn’t just about growing watermelons; it was about understanding the unique needs of Turkish farmers and the specific conditions in which these watermelons would thrive.
One of the most rewarding parts of this process has been working closely with local experts like Mümin Sahin, a plant raiser with over three decades of experience. Seeing our watermelon varieties being tested in real-world conditions on Mümin’s farm has been invaluable. His insights, especially regarding the importance of grafting techniques and disease resistance, have been critical in refining our approach.
Sweet, crispy and good-looking watermelons
I’m proud to say that we’ve made significant strides. The watermelons we’re developing are not only high-yielding and resistant to disease, but they also meet the specific preferences of Turkish consumers. We’re focusing on creating watermelons with high sugar content, pinkish reddish flesh, and the color of the seeds should be rather dark. Because consumers often associate light-colored seeds or too light-colored stripes on the outer skin with immaturity. There is currently also a trend of processing companies slicing the watermelons and cutting them into smaller pieces. This has an impact on requirements such as shelf life, crispness and taste.
Shape is also an important factor in transport. Longer oval watermelons have the advantage that their weight is distributed over a larger surface area, making them less susceptible to pressure.
Working alongside dedicated professionals like Mümin, who shares our vision, has been both encouraging and inspiring. While we still have work ahead of us, I’m confident that in a few years, KWS will be offering a competitive watermelon portfolio that truly resonates with the Turkish market.
