VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists have voiced their concern about the risks in the current movement to plant mini watermelons.

Tiny watermelon seeds brought to Vietnam recently have been selling very well because the plant variety is a favorite in urban areas.

Scientists said the Pepquino mini melon is sourced from the US. It is described as a very ancient species that originated from South America.

It is basically a ‘micro-cucumber’ that is also very closely related to a melon. The plants are now largely grown in the US, after being brought there by farmers from the Netherlands.

The Pepquino melon has a slightly sour cucumber flavor. It can both serve as ornamental plant and edible fruit.

The adverts on some websites show that a seed of the mini melon sells for VND20,000-25,000.

Le Thanh Hang, the owner of an online shop distributing Pepquino seeds, said this is a variety of creeper, and very suitable to Vietnamese climate, with high humidity and high rainfall.

Hang said the demand is very high; the seeds sell out within days.

Some Pepquino growers said that the sprouting proportion is 70-80 percent. The majority of growers do not have experience in planting Pepquino and they are not sure about how to plant them.

Meanwhile, scientists have warned against the movement of planting the mini melon.

They recalled many cases in which exotic plants were imported and planted in Vietnam and harmed native species.

According to Dr. Tran Dinh Long, chair of the Vietnam Plant Seed Association, under the Plant Seed Ordinance ratified by the National Assembly in 2004, all exotic plant varieties must be examined by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to find out if they are suitable to Vietnamese conditions and if they have disease.

After the ministry finishes its examination, the plants will be planted on a trial basis for one or two crops.

The plantation on a large scale will only be allowed after relevant agencies can understand the varieties’ characteristics and come to a conclusion that the plants can be grown in Vietnam.

“It is still unclear about whether the plants should be grown in Vietnam, how the plants will develop and if there are any risks to native Vietnamese plants,” Long said.

Dr. Nguyen Kim Vu from Phuong Dong University also noted that it is a violation of the regulations on biosafety to import and grow Pepquino.

Tien Phong