Plant breeders are continually trying to develop new plant varieties that they hope will become bestsellers one day.They try to develop something different in several ways from the standard products on the market.

One senior lady researcher, Lamai Yapanan of the Simon Groot Research Center of East-West Seed Company in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is one such researcher who has been trying to develop vegetable varieties that are very different from the traditional ones.

And one such variety she developed was dubbed Love Bitermelon or Love Ampalaya by a Thai journalist because it is heart-shaped. Sometime back, the new variety was launched in an event in Ban Bua-thong, Thailand and instantly became some kind of a celebrity. Its story was picked up by the newspapers, and Tesco, the multinational grocery and merchandise retailer, also showed special interest. It wants to carry the vegetable in its shelves.

Actually, most of the executives of East-West Thailand did not pay much attention to the ‘baby’ of Lamai Yapanan. They thought nobody would want it in the market.

But then they were mistaken. Many of the farmers also wanted to plant the same when they came to know about it. Naturally, Lamai Yapanan was pleased no end. Aside from the usual cooking of the vegetable fruit, it has been made into juice, salad and even ice cream.

The Love Ampalaya can also be a money-maker for farmers. In plantings in Thailand, one plant could produce an average of 8.6 kilos. If that could be produced in the Philippines and sold at P40 a kilo, that would mean a gross income of P344 from each plant.

Love Ampalaya is early maturing. In 40 to 45 days after sowing, 50 percent of the flowers are female which develop into fruits. The fruit is about 8 cm long and 5-6 cm wide. The skin is dark green and shiny. And the plant is said to be moderately tolerant to powdery mildew, a common fungal disease attacking ampalaya and its relatives.

Ric Reyes, global product and market combination manager of East-West Seed, said that the new variety will be evaluated in field trials in the Philippines before it is officially released for commercial planting by farmers. He is very optimistic, however, that the variety will also become a bestseller in the country.

Ric is also excited about a new mini patola that the researchers in Thailand have developed. The fruits of this variety are just about the size of an ordinary pentel pen, 8 to 10 inches long which are very tender.

It is also being evaluated for its market potential before it is finally released for commercial planting. This is something to look forward to, according to Ric.