Question
I saw a segment on the news about locally grown "seedless" watermelons. The Horticulturist from the State University explained that the fruit was produced by mixing two plants with differing numbers of chromosomes, which means they will not produce seeds to reproduce and thus no seeds.
Doesn’t this pose a Halachic question, since aren’t we prohibited from mixing species. In an abundance of caution, I have refrained from eating such melons.
Answer
The question regards the developers of this special melon. Once it exists there is no prohibition of Kilaim.
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel
