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Scientists breed new fruits and vegetables
15/6/2005 16:36

Rachel Hou/Shanghai Daily news

On June 14, the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences held a special exhibition of 22 new species of fruits and vegetables it had bred successfully.
The most eye-catching in all the exhibits were the "cluster tomato" and "bicolored melon". The new tomato variety, which grows like grapes on a vine, is harvested in clusters. The bicolored melon, with red and green pulp, is a genetically modified crop that matures earlier and is more resistant to rot than ordinary melons.
Another highlight of the exhibition were improved strains of plants with greater vigor and disease resistance, including cantaloupes that can grow in China's South (previously not considered a cantaloupe area), pumpkins that can endure both high and low temperatures, and green soy beans not needing pesticides.
Other outstanding creations by the institution include a small pumpkin the size of an orange and a lantern-shaped green pepper bigger than a fist.