What is the evolution process of watermelon cultivars in China?

The replacement of watermelon cultivars in China has gone through a long process of development and evolution.

This process can generally be divided into 3 stages.

The first stage is the 1950s and before.

At this stage, the watermelon varieties cultivated in various places were mainly local farmers' varieties, and a small number of foreign varieties were introduced around 1949.

China's watermelon local varieties are mainly distributed in the three main watermelon producing areas: North China is China's largest traditional watermelon producing area and has very rich germplasm resources. The more famous ones include Bianliang watermelon, Dezhou watermelon, Tongzhou watermelon, and Pang watermelon.

Watermelon from each village, etc.

Among them, Bianliang watermelon is a local variety group centered on Kaifeng City (anciently known as Bianliang) in Henan Province (including southwestern Shandong). Its representative varieties include large and small Hucaihu, hand towel strip, walnut pattern, black oil skin, three white,

Sanjieyi, chicken feet ash, hemp seeds, frozen melon, etc.

Dezhou watermelon is a local variety group centered in Dezhou City, Shandong Province. Its representative varieties include pear skin, lama melon, peach tip, etc.

Panggezhuang watermelon is a local variety group centered in Panggezhuang Township, Daxing County, a suburb of Beijing. Its representative varieties include Heibengjin, Dahualing, etc.

Tongzhou watermelon is the watermelon from Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province (known as Tongzhou in ancient times), and its representative variety is black oil skin.

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are the main watermelon producing areas in southern China. Its local varieties mainly include potato melon from Pinghu area in Zhejiang Province, Bang melon from Shanghai, and Fuzhou watermelon from Linchuan City (i.e. Fuzhou) in Jiangxi Province (mainly divided into Da

leaf and small-leaf varieties).

The northwest region is the main watermelon producing area with the best ecological conditions in China. Its local varieties mainly include Lanzhou Heipi and Lanzhou Huapi from Gansu, and Jinghe watermelon from Xinjiang (representative varieties include Aktawuzi).

Some watermelon varieties introduced from abroad around 1949, after trial planting in various places, the varieties with good adaptability gradually developed into the main varieties in a few areas. The representative varieties are mainly Japan's Shin-Yamato (New Yamato) which was introduced in the 1940s.

That is, small foreign melons, Taihe melons, Jiefang melons, etc.), Asahi Yamato (ie Gaiping watermelon) from various places, as well as Mibao (also known as sugar baby, Taihei, etc.), gray Charleston and other imported from the United States in the 1950s.

Soviet No. 3, Meili, etc. introduced from the Soviet Union.

The second stage is from the 1960s to the 1970s.

At this stage, the watermelon cultivated varieties in various places are mainly excellent conventional varieties. In the early stage, local varieties still accounted for a certain proportion in some areas. In the later stage, new varieties such as hybrid and triploid seedless watermelons began to be promoted in a few areas.

Excellent conventional varieties mainly include new varieties selected from introduced varieties from abroad and domestic self-bred varieties. Among the representative varieties are introduced varieties: Huadong No. 24, Huadong No. 26, Chengxuan No. 1, Xudahe No. 6, etc.;

Breeding varieties: Zaohua, Xingchenghong, Zhengzhou No. 3, Qingfeng, Zhongyu No. 1, Zhongyu No. 6, Longmi No. 100, Sumi No. 1, 74-5-1, Qiongsu, Shihong No. 1

, Bianliang No. 1, Huozhou No. 1, etc.

The third stage starts from the late 1970s to the present.

At this stage, watermelon cultivars in various places have basically achieved first-generation hybridization. Almost all of them are first-generation hybrid varieties (including triploid seedless watermelons). Only a few excellent conventional varieties are still planted in some areas. At this time, traditional farmers

Local varieties have been basically extinct.

This stage is the fastest and largest period of change in the replacement and development of watermelon varieties in China. About 120 to 150 varieties have been promoted successively.

The cultivated varieties in the first and second stages are all conventional varieties, and farmers can propagate and retain them for themselves. Therefore, the seed production industry was very underdeveloped at that time, but in the third stage, they are all first-generation hybrids (including triploid seedless watermelons).

), farmers were unable to save their own seeds. Therefore, the professional seed production industry came into being and developed rapidly.

In addition, there is also a special type of watermelon - seed watermelon (commonly known as Dagua, seed melon, pinch melon), which is unique to China. Its cultivated varieties have been based on traditional local varieties or varieties selected from its single line.

Mainly, its representative varieties include Lanzhou seed melons from Gansu Province, Wucheng Daban and Xinfeng red seed melons from Jiangxi Province, and red seed melons from Ningxia Autonomous Region; selected varieties include Lanzhou Daban No. 1, Jingyuan Daban No. 1 and 2

No. 1, Gansu Daban No. 1, Gansu Agricultural Reclamation Daban No. 1, etc.