Portuguese 
Spanish 
Ultra-small watermelons, weighing 80 to 200 grams, were developed by a mother and daughter using a non-GMO technique to facilitate cultivation in greenhouses, vertical farms, and individual fruit markets.
Watermelons the size of chicken eggs were obtained by a pair of breeders who used non-GMO chemical mutation to reduce the fruits without removing core characteristics, such as sweet flavor, red, orange flesh, and firmness for handling.
The proposal arose to tackle an old limitation of the crop. Watermelons have always been difficult in vertical farming systems and greenhouses due to the extensive vine growth and large fruit size.
Smaller watermelons for greenhouses and vertical farms
The breeding program was initiated in 2021 by high school researcher Delaney Raptis and her mother. The goal was to create ultra-small fruits, capable of better adapting to high-density environments.
-
A 3-year-old deaf student received the first white belt in Jiu-Jitsu and understood the achievement because the teacher learned Libras to communicate with him, in a video that surpassed 7 million views and moved social media by showing inclusion happening on the mat.
-
Miguel Krigsner opened a small compounding pharmacy in Curitiba in 1977, turned Brazilian fragrances into a national success, and created O Boticário, now one of the largest beauty networks in the world.
-
Meet the charming parrot grandpa, who became known for hugging free birds and revealed how he gained their trust over the years.
-
After 18 years of development, Bridgestone launches the AirFree airless tire, which requires no inflation and is puncture-proof, into daily service in Japan, starting with autonomous vehicles up to 20 km/h, used for transporting elderly people.
After several generations, the breeders managed to reduce watermelons that normally weigh several kilos to units between approximately 80 and 200 grams. Some became so small that they are no larger than chicken eggs.
Delaney Raptis told HortiDaily magazine that, in preliminary observations, the fruits maintain a sweet flavor, red and orange flesh, and sufficient firmness for handling. The goal was to reduce the size without abandoning characteristics expected by consumers and supply chains.
Reduced size also targets single servings
The focus of the work was to make it possible to cultivate watermelon in high-density greenhouses and vertical farms, where maximizing production per square meter is a priority for the system.
In addition to facilitating this type of cultivation, the smaller size of the fruits can reduce food waste. The miniature watermelons can also cater to the single-serving fruit market, as they are small and individual.
The breeders observed that the seeds of these watermelons are smaller than those found in normal-sized fruits. A question remains about the rind: whether it is edible or needs to be removed.
