Watermelons are exploding all over Jiangsu from overuse of growth injections

Approximately 115 acres of watermelons have exploded in parts of China–and no that’s not some outrageous Willy Wonka joke, it’s what happened to 20 farmers in Jiangsu after they injected a little too much of a growth hormone into their crop this season.
Forcholorfenuron is a growth accelerator that can increase the size of a fruit by 20%. It is legal and frequently used even in the US for fruits like kiwis and grapes. However, the farmers here got a little heavy handed. A lack of regulation for this growth hormone combined with a heavy rain spell and a watermelon variety with a thin rind ended up with entire fields of self-imploding watermelons like “landmines.”
“On May 7, I came out and counted 80 but by the afternoon it was 100,” said farmer Liu Mingsuo. “Two days later I didn’t bother to count anymore.”
The acres upon acres of ruined crop have been given to pigs and fish as feed instead.