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Research: Where did watermelon come from? It was cultivated 4,300 years ago

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The WatermelonOne of the most important and popular fruits in the world with a production of over 200 million tons worldwide, it seems to have originated in Northeast Africa, especially in the Cordofan region of Sudan, a new scientific study that is rewriting history. It is believed to put an end to decades of controversy over watermelon and its origins.

He conducted genetic analysis and published in the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences (PAAS) at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Researchers from the United Kingdom and the United States, led by Gillum Chomiski, have found the jungle to be the oldest. The closest relative of today’s pet watermelon.

The discovery explains why today’s watermelon is susceptible to disease, as genetic analysis shows – many of the genes that are resistant to domestic watermelon were lost during its evolution.

Watermelon is susceptible to viruses and fungi, which is why it is often sprayed with fungicides and other chemicals against pathogenic microorganisms in traditional agriculture.

Since the ancient ancestors of watermelon from Sudan have more resistant genes, the analysis of its genome is expected to help grow more resistant melons in the future, which will also help reduce pesticides.

Researchers studying ancient iconography in tombs in neighboring Egypt have revealed that watermelons were cultivated by the Egyptians at least 4,300 years ago. However, melons, watermelons and cucumbers began to be grown separately and cultivated several times in different seasons and in different parts of the world.

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