WATERMELON [Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Matsumura et. Nakai.] HYBRIDS

I. Application and Amplification of General Seed Certification Standards

A. The General Seed Certification Standards are basic and together with the following specific standards constitute the standards for certification of hybrid watermelon seed.

B. The General standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to the hybrids of watermelon:

1. Eligibility requirements for certification

(a) A parental line to be eligible for certification shall be from a source such that its identity may be assured and approved by the Certification Agency.

(b) Hybrid seed to be eligible for certification shall be the progeny of two approved parental lines.

2. Classes and sources of seed

(a) A parental line shall be a relatively true breeding strain.

(b) The Certified class seed shall be the hybrid seed to be planted for any use except seed production.

II. Land requirements

Land to be used for seed production of hybrid watermelon shall be free of volunteer plants.

III. Field Inspection

A. Foundation seed

A minimum of four inspections shall be made as follows:

1. the first inspection shall be made before flowering in order to determine isolation, volunteer plants and other relevant factors;

2. the second and third inspections shall be made during flowering and fruiting stage to cheek isolation, offtypes, and other relevant factors;

3. the fourth inspection shall be made at mature fruit stage and prior to harvesting in order to determine the true characteristics of the fruits.

B. Certified seed

A minimum of four inspections shall be made as follows: 

1. the first inspection shall be made before flowering in order to determine isolation, volunteer plants, out crosses demarcation between seed parent and pollinator blocks or planting ratio and errors in planting as the case may be, and other relevant factors;

2. the second and third inspections shall be made during flowering and fruiting stage to cheek isolation, offtypes, plucking of male flower buds in seed parent and other relevant factors;

3. the fourth inspection shall be made at mature fruit stage and prior to harvesting in order to determine the true characteristics of the fruits.

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

Seed fields shall be isolated from the contaminants shown in the column 1 of the Table below by the distances specified in columns 2 and 3 of the said Table:

        Contaminants                                                                                   Minimum distance (meters)

                                                                                                                Foundation        Certified

            1                                                                                                         2                     3

Fields of other varieties including commercial 

hybrid of the same variety                                                                             1500                1000

Fields of the same hybrid (code designation) not conforming

to varietal purity requirements for certification and from

wild watermelon (Indrayan): Citrullus colocynthis L.                                      1500                1000  

Between blocks of the parental lines incase seed parent

and pollinator are planted in separate blocks and hand 

pollination is to be adopted                                                                               -                      5

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                              Foundation            Certified

    Offtypes in seed parent                                                                           0.010                  0.050

    Offtypes in pollinator                                                                                  -                      0.050

    Male flowers shedding pollens in seed parent                                              -                      0.10  

** Objectionable weed plants                                                                    None                    None    

*   Maximum permitted at and after flowering.

** Objectionable weed shall be : Wild watermelon (Indrayan ): Citrullus colocynthis L.

V. Seed standards

        Factor                                                                                              Standards for each class

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

Pure seed (minimum)                                                                                98.0%                    98.0%

Inert matter (maximum)                                                                              2.0%                       2.0%

Other crop seeds (maximum)                                                                    None                      None

Total weed seeds (maximum)                                                                    None                      None

*Objectionable weed seeds (maximum)                                                    None                      None

Other distinguishable varieties (maximum)                                                  5 / kg                     10 / kg   

Germination (minimum)                                                                             60%                       60%

Moisture (maximum)                                                                                 7.0%                      7.0%

For vapour-proof containers (maximum)                                                    6.0%                      6.0%

* Objectionable weed is the same as given at IV. B. above.