Are watermelons getting sweeter?

Author: Duan Yuechu, Huang Xianghong

In today's life, many people have asked this question: "Is watermelon getting sweeter?" The change in the sweetness of watermelon has become the focus of everyone's attention.

Judging from the feedback from consumers, many people feel that watermelons are sweeter nowadays than in the past. For example, Ms. Lin recalled that when she was a child, she would add sugar to her watermelons, but nowadays, it is rare to eat unsweet watermelons. Mr. Zhao, a watermelon vendor, also said that nearby residents like sweet watermelons, the sweeter the better, and even refuse to harvest watermelons if the sugar content is less than 12%. Generally speaking, when the sweetness of watermelons reaches 10% - 12%, the taste is already relatively sweet; when the sweetness exceeds 12%, it is considered to be a relatively sweet watermelon.

Watermelon expert Researcher Sun pointed out that watermelons are indeed sweeter now than before. This is due to the advancement of science and technology. my country's watermelon varieties are constantly updated, from the initial local farmers' varieties and fixed varieties to today's hybrid varieties, and the sugar content of watermelons has gradually increased. In addition, the improvement of cultivation technology, such as full-process facility cultivation, rain shelter cultivation, fertilizer and water integration technology, organic fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizer, and formula fertilization, have all contributed to the sweetening of watermelons. The experience of melon farmers has also confirmed this. For example, Brother Li uses sheep manure from Inner Mongolia as base fertilizer for watermelon fields, and Brother Chen found that watermelons grown with expensive fertilizers are sweeter.

The sweetness of watermelon is also closely related to the growing environment. Adequate sunlight can promote photosynthesis of watermelon and accumulate more sugar. Suitable temperature is also very important. Too high or too low temperature will affect the growth and sugar accumulation of watermelon. In addition, the fertility and moisture conditions of the soil will also affect the sweetness of watermelon. Fertile and well-drained soil is conducive to the absorption of nutrients and water by the watermelon roots, thus creating favorable conditions for sugar accumulation.

The sweetness standards for watermelons vary around the world. For example, in some regions, a watermelon may be considered sweet if it reaches 8% sweetness, while in other regions, it may need to be above 11%.

In China, the sweetness of common watermelon varieties varies. For example, the sweetness of Qilin watermelon is usually between 11% and 14%, the sweetness of 8424 watermelon is generally around 10% to 13%, and the sweetness of Black Beauty watermelon is about 10% to 12%.

However, there are some rumors about making watermelons sweeter, such as the rumor on the internet that watermelons can be sweetened by injecting saccharin into them. The experiment conducted by Researcher Sun's team has disproven this claim. From the perspective of operational difficulty and the easy perishability of watermelons, this approach is not feasible.

Is the sweeter the watermelon, the better? This is a question worth pondering. Mr. Wu, who was born in the 1980s, thinks that the current watermelons are too sweet, while Aunt Yang, considering her own blood sugar level, recommends growing less sweet watermelons. Researcher Sun believes that the sugar content of watermelon should be around 12%. Xu Shufang, a registered dietitian of the Chinese Nutrition Society, also pointed out that although sweetened fruits taste good, the sugar intake of Chinese residents exceeds the standard, and the number of people diagnosed with diabetes has increased. It is not recommended to consume too much sugar and be wary of the "fructose trap."

In short, the change in watermelon sweetness is the result of the interaction between technology and market demand, and is also affected by the growing environment. However, while pursuing sweetness, consumers' health and diversified needs should also be considered.