Re: Hard Question

Dave:
 
I think your the first one that grows giant pumpkins that I have heard ask this question.
 
It is quite difficult to explain but I will try to keep it simple, by the way from what I understand irraddiated pollen is just now being looked at in melons (Watermelon), some root crops (onions), squash etc.
 
It is quite new about ten years and was first done in France on flax, and has since been used in corn, coca, coffee beans, potatoes, tomatoes and a few others.
 
Basically what it is, is the use of exotic or alien pollen to develop a plant. The irradiated (x-rayed) pollen is introduced to the host plant (usually by spray) and the cellular division of the ovule takes place without the use of another like-parent. Even though the pollen is different and is inactive due to irradition it still is capable of cellular division which is what happens when you introduce say male pollen of a pumpkin to a female pumpkin flower.
 
So basically you would take and spray your female's on your pumpkin and bang you got yourself a fertilized pumpkin, pinch off all the males you don't need them.
 
Now before I get bombarded with e-mails I know of no such spray available for punkins, squash, melons etc... (yet) they are still working on these variety's of Veggies.
 
One small down fall, the plants are being developed artificially by only a single set of chromosomes instead of 2 sets (half from the mother, half from the father) and do not form seeds and there for no offspring. So you will get a seedless pumpkin.
 
With most growers growing for size from different crosses this would not be possible as would saving seed from say an Emmons to grow next year, another big down fall in giant punkin growing.
 
However if you were a farmer, growing for the table, or growing Giant Tomatoes it is almost 99.9% guaranteed pollination.
 
Yes I use this for Giant Tomatoes as I grow seperate plants for seed for next year and only spray the plants that I am just growing giants for. This way when I see a blossom like is shown in my growers diary on Big Pumpkins http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=4512 (tomato entry) I spray it and bang there she grows.  By the way the sepals as shown are almost 4" across and when the mater is fully grown it is guesstimated to have a whopping 14" middle measurement.  This is why I use the stuff no guessing with if it will pollinate.
 
Hoped this Helped,
TTYL
Ernie
Giant Veggies
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