Provided by Kyodo News
A national agricultural research institute and the University of Tsukuba have developed a muskmelon that can be ripened on demand, aiming to overcome the fruit's relatively short shelf life and boost exports.
The team inactivated a gene required to produce ethylene, which acts as a plant hormone to promote fruit ripening, and succeeded in keeping the melon firm and green for up to two months.
The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization and the university said they hope to register the variety with the government and commercialize it within three years. Muskmelons typically come into season from spring through midsummer. The fast pace of ripening after harvest, caused by the release of ethylene, means the fruit does not keep well for long and spoils during ocean transport when shipped overseas.
The new approach would allow producers to ship melons while suppressing ripening and then trigger it closer to consumers by exposing the fruit to ethylene, a technique already in use for bananas.
Japanese melons have seen strong overseas demand. Exports totaled 1,089 tons in 2025 on a preliminary basis, more than triple the 309 tons shipped in 2015, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Hong Kong and Singapore are among the major destinations for Japanese melons, and the United States and Australia have also begun importing them.
The longer shelf life could also make inventory management easier and reduce food waste. The team called the latest development "a major step" toward expanding domestic demand and promoting exports.