Farmers in China have been left baffled after their watermelons began to explode one by one.
An investigation by state media found farms in Jiangsu province were losing acres of fruit because of the problem.
The overuse of a chemical that helps fruit grow faster was blamed in one report by China Central Television.
But agriculture experts were unable to explain why chemical-free melons were also exploding. They cited the weather and abnormal size of the melon as factors.
China Central Television said farmers were overspraying their crops with the growth promoter, hoping they could get their fruit to market ahead of the peak season.
About 20 farmers in a village in Jiangsu province planted imported seeds from Japan, with 10 households saying their watermelons began exploding last month.
Farmer Liu Mingsuo told the Xinhua news agency that more than two-thirds of his crop had blown up.
He said he had used chemicals to boost their growth , and the following day more than 180 melons exploded.
But Wang Dehong, who has been farming watermelons for 20 years, couldn't understand why his fruit also exploded as he had not used any chemicals.
Agricultural experts investigating the incident were unable to offer an explanation.
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