Seedless Grapes
V. Vemuri, Pleasanton
Like seedless grapes? Hate biting into a bitter little seed? Did you ever wonder how to get new grapevines without seeds?
First, remember that there are many ways to reproduce. In sexual reproduction, you need a seed. We humans are produced this way. There is another trick to reproduce and many plants and animals do multiply this way. In this method, called regeneration, a small piece of tissue can regenerate into a full grown organism. Horticulturists are familiar with this kind of reproduction. They take a cutting and plant it. Bingo, they get a new full grown plant! seedless grapevine are propagated this way without the help of a seed. But how did the first seedless variety come into existence?
Well, this is almost like the age old chicken and egg problem. Historians tell us that the first seedless variety was grown somewhere in Central Asia many centuries ago. A farmer with a keen eye noticed that one grapevine suddenly started producing grapes without seeds. This kind of thing happens all the time and is called mutation. He (or she) saw the advantage in saving and propagating this mutant and did so by "taking a cutting." The rest is history. Did I say that this kind of thing happens all the time? How come all interesting this like this happen centuries ago? As recently as two decades ago, another savvy farmer in California noticed that a vine that normally produced Emperor Grapes (with seeds) suddenly produced a seedless mutant. Now we have seedless Emperor grapes. When I say "seedless," do not take me literally. In some varieties, you may find tiny wannable seeds.
Mutation and regeneration are lot more involved than this simple explanation. For example, if you bisect a flatworm, the "head-half" grows a new tail, not a new head! This indeed is one of the mysteries of nature. Another mystery. Not all species can regenerate; only lowly creatures and some plants can. Imagine a million dollar mutant going into a battle. Cut the head, a new head regenerates. Cut the hands, a new pair of hands pop up. Pierce the chest. Each drop of blood regenerates into a new soldier. Modern science fiction? Yes, it is science fiction, but the idea is not modern. Vaalmiki and many other ancient Indian poets did use this idea to make their battle scenes more exciting.