Bayer Seminis expands its watermelon portfolio with the commercial launch of Polinesia, its first micro-seeded pollinator, presented following the strong results obtained in trials last summer. With this introduction, the company brings to market a material designed to meet current sector needs, offering high pollination capacity, commercial quality and an optimal cycle that allows for synchronised harvesting with triploid watermelon.
Polinesia stands out for its strong floral emission during fruit set, a key aspect in ensuring effective fertilisation of triploid watermelon. Its later maturity, compared to other commercial pollinators, allows harvesting to coincide with the main variety, optimising labour. In addition, it offers excellent organoleptic quality and maintains flesh firmness even at later dates.
With a uniform weight of 2.5–3 kg, a perfectly round shape and tiger-type striping clearly differentiated from triploid varieties, Polinesia fits the specifications of export markets, which demand small and highly uniform calibres.
José Guirado, Market Development Melon, highlights the variety’s strong performance across all regions. Transplant dates run from 15 February to late March in Almería; from March to late April in Murcia; and from late April to late May in Castilla-La Mancha, allowing supply from mid-May through late August.
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“We have really nailed it with this material,” says Guirado, noting its combination of cycle, internal quality and pollination capacity. The variety adapts to the specific growing conditions of each region, offering rusticity in Murcia—where soil and water conditions generate greater stress—and size retention in Castilla-La Mancha, where smaller and more uniform formats are required.
Polinesia represents another step forward in Bayer Seminis’ strategy to strengthen its watermelon portfolio, which already includes the seedless striped variety Lunalinda, gaining increasing adoption in Murcia and La Mancha.
More dynamism ahead
By late 2026, the company expects to introduce another new addition: the micro-seeded Crimson-type pollinator SVWT4104, aimed at mid-to-late transplant cycles. “We are beginning to see increased dynamism in our pipeline, with more R&D resources allocated to meet rising demand.”
