Johnson Yang, Senior Specialist in the Production Unit under the Seven Crops Project (far right) engages participants at the workshop.
Twenty-seven farmers and extension officers from across Saint Lucia have received training in seedless watermelon cultivation as part of an initiative to enhance local fruit and vegetable production.
The training workshop, held last week, was a collaboration between the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development under the Seven Crops Project. This initiative, officially known as the Enhancement of the Efficiency in the Production-Distribution Supply Chain of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector, aims to improve the island’s agricultural output.
The session was the first of four scheduled workshops designed to educate participants on best practices for cultivating seedless watermelons. The training focuses on four key areas: hydro-priming/seed preparation, pruning, pollination and harvesting.
Officials, extension officers and farmers who attended the workshop.
During the workshop, farmers were educated on the general production process of watermelons in Saint Lucia, including the best husbandry practices to apply throughout the crop’s life cycle.
Special emphasis was placed on hydro-priming, a crucial step in ensuring successful germination and growth of seedless watermelons. Participants also took part in a hands-on session, where they prepared seeds for sowing.
The training was conducted by Edward Wilson, Production Officer, and Johnson Yang, Senior Specialist in the Production Unit under the Seven Crops Project.
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3 COMMENTS
Reading this has left me speechless. The introduction of “Seedless watermelon “ ???. I America there a great demand for watermelons with seeds, but in St Lucia they are encouraging farmers to plant seedless watermelons…….i am not saying it’s not edible, but do these primitive farmers realize that all fruits derived or germinate from seedlings ?? These redesigned GMO crops serves no health benefits. People don’t like eating grapes with seeds so they found ways to geometrically modify the plants just to please the consumer base now you have seedless grapes, but you go to the health food store and see how much you will pay for grape seeds or grape seed oil. The same applies for watermelon with seeds I wish the public would educate themselves on seedless fruits and vegetables always buy your fruits and vegetables with the seeds the way nature intended it to be. These modifications started in the good Ole USA……even the carrots we imported from them chemicals we added to them while in the ground to get that bright orange color, I grow carrots and the real carrots looks nothing like that. Our appetite for American Crap is killing us slowly buy local it might cost more but you are better off.
I refuse to eat anything seedless.
I live in the UK, whenever I buy watermelon if the seeds are not black I don’t buy it. All plants should have seeds.
In time to come even the soil will not be able to grow fruits with seeds anymore.
But this is what our government wants to introduce to the farmers….
Good luck…
As it relates to seedless watermelons, they are scientifically safe to eat. Seedless watermelon is NOT a genetically modified crop. It is developed through traditional breeding techniques. In fact, seedless watermelon is as natural and safe as traditional watermelon but with the advantage of no seeds, no hassle. So persons can enjoy eating seedless watermelons without having to worry.
Reading this has left me speechless. The introduction of “Seedless watermelon “ ???. I America there a great demand for watermelons with seeds, but in St Lucia they are encouraging farmers to plant seedless watermelons…….i am not saying it’s not edible, but do these primitive farmers realize that all fruits derived or germinate from seedlings ?? These redesigned GMO crops serves no health benefits. People don’t like eating grapes with seeds so they found ways to geometrically modify the plants just to please the consumer base now you have seedless grapes, but you go to the health food store and see how much you will pay for grape seeds or grape seed oil. The same applies for watermelon with seeds I wish the public would educate themselves on seedless fruits and vegetables always buy your fruits and vegetables with the seeds the way nature intended it to be. These modifications started in the good Ole USA……even the carrots we imported from them chemicals we added to them while in the ground to get that bright orange color, I grow carrots and the real carrots looks nothing like that. Our appetite for American Crap is killing us slowly buy local it might cost more but you are better off.
I refuse to eat anything seedless.
I live in the UK, whenever I buy watermelon if the seeds are not black I don’t buy it. All plants should have seeds.
In time to come even the soil will not be able to grow fruits with seeds anymore.
But this is what our government wants to introduce to the farmers….
Good luck…
As it relates to seedless watermelons, they are scientifically safe to eat. Seedless watermelon is NOT a genetically modified crop. It is developed through traditional breeding techniques. In fact, seedless watermelon is as natural and safe as traditional watermelon but with the advantage of no seeds, no hassle. So persons can enjoy eating seedless watermelons without having to worry.