b'Calvert explains that seedless vari- creating, stabilising, maintaining and mul- seedless varieties. Tetraploid development eties take much longer to reach markettiplying tetraploid parents. It is slow, dif- involves lab work but also selection in the when parental lines are developed usingficult, expensive, and requires experience.field to avoid harmful effects of the chem-traditional methods. The key difference isDiploid hybrid production is complex too,icals used for genome duplication. And genetic: the female parent used in seedlesshe notes, but it does not reach the same levelwhile seedless is the headline, his team is systems has four copies of the genome, notof complexity as triploids. also working on reducing seed impact in two. That difference slows development,Maestre describes seedless water- normal varieties. Reduced seed size, he and it forces breeders to anticipate marketmelon breeding as a strategic cornerstone.argues, can be very valuable; sometimes needs further in advance. The result is aThe ambition, he says, is to accelerateconsumers cannot distinguish a microseed planning challenge: by the time a seedlessthe global shift toward seedless, makingvariety from a seedless one. That makes variety is ready, market preferences maywatermelon easier and more enjoyable.microseeded types an interesting bridge have shifted in subtle but important waysBut this transformation comes with chal- between traditional seeded types and fulltoward a new size, a new rind pattern,lenges: expanding the genetic base, inno- seedless systems, especially where produc-a different eating texture, or different retailvating continuously, and collaboratingtion realities or price points make seedless requirements. with partners across the chain. In his view,adoption more complex.Juan Antonio Fernndez, watermelonits not enough to breed seedless; the traitsDjordjevic notes that while seedless breeder at Semillas Fit, describes the pro- must be strong enoughand consistentdominates consumer preference, triploid cedures for creating seedless watermelons asenoughto move the category forward. breeding remains one of the most chal-similar in concept to seeded breeding, butSarria Villada adds another layer:lenging systems. Seedless isnt just a trait, far more technical and complex in execu- the main difference lies in developing theits a breeding system. Breeding cycles tion. Improving triploid varieties requiresmother lines, which is highly complex inare long, seed production is complex, and mistakes are expensive. Success depends not only on genetics, but on a long-term strategy and early experience in seed pro-duction environments. Our industry has many examples where some of the best seedless genetics never reach growers because the seed production economics simply dont work.Taken together, these views show seed-less as both a market demand and a techni-cal burden. Everyone wants it. Everyone is working on it. But everyone also knows that seedless is not a single traitits a breeding system with knock-on effects throughout the programme, from parent line mainte-nance to seed production logistics.DUAL-PURPOSE, FRESH-CUT, AND THE CHANGING WAY PEOPLE EAT WATERMELONAnother quiet driver in the interviews is the shift toward new consumption formats. Watermelon is no longer only a whole fruit carried home like a trophy. Its increasingly a snack, a convenience product, a fresh-cut item, a portion-sized purchase. That changes what breeders must deliver.Maestre describes breeding efforts that include dual-purpose varieties, offer-ing firmness and eating quality suitable for both the fresh market and the expanding fresh-cut segment. That implies varieties that hold texture after slicing, maintain appearance, and keep eating quality over time. Those arent classic field traits; they are traits shaped by consumer behaviour and retail strategy.Sarria Villada points to the same direction when he talks about enhancing flesh texture and shelf life for fourth-Other watermelon colours are now coming to the market, such as these seedless yellow varieties. Photo: BASF range convenience productsfresh-cut 16ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | FEBRUARY 2026'