Cantaloupe (Muskmelon) Production

Cantaloupes (a common name for muskmelons in the United States) are a crop that lends itself well to small-scale and part-time farming operations. There are multiple markets for growers with small acreages, and many field operations, such as land preparation, planting, and harvesting, can be custom hired. Custom labor and cultivation, however, are only available in areas where other producers use plastic laying, raised-bed, and mechanical transplanting equipment. Should you need to purchase the necessary equipment, start-up expenses will be higher.

Cantaloupes are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes summer and winter squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, and gourds. Individual plants most commonly produce either separate male and female flowers or male and perfect (having female and male organs) flowers, and fruit size varies from 3 to 7 pounds. Fruit shape and appearance are quite varied, ranging from smooth or partially netted to sutured and heavily netted.

Cantaloupes were first cultivated in the Near East and were found growing in areas from Turkey to China, including north-west India, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. Several cantaloupe varieties were reportedly grown in the West Indies as early as 1494. Cantaloupes were also cultivated by American Indians near the present city of Montreal in 1535 and the vicinity of Philadelphia before 1748. Commercial cantaloupe production did not begin in the United States until the 1870s and was initially centered in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Around 1.2 to 1.5 billion pounds of cantaloupes are produced in the United States annually on more than 60,000 acres, generating around $300 million in farm receipts. Pennsylvania farmers produce 11 to 14 million pounds on around 1,000 acres, generating between $3.6 and $4.5 million in gross receipts.

Marketing

Fresh-market cantaloupes are produced in Pennsylvania from the end of June to the end of September. Cantaloupe cultivars recommended for Pennsylvania are listed in Table 1 (below). Fresh-market cantaloupes are usually sold loose in bulk containers or 40-pound cardboard boxes. Boxes generally contain nine to 23 cantaloupes, depending on individual fruit size. Several marketing alternatives are available to cantaloupe growers, including wholesale markets, marketing cooperatives, local retailers (grocery stores), roadside stands, farmers markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and pick-your-own operations. When planning production, first consider your access to market. You should conduct some market research—growers often overestimate their ability to sell in a particular market. Production of less than one acre is typical for many growers.

In wholesale marketing, producers often contract with shippers to market and ship their cantaloupes for a predetermined price. If you do not use this option and ship your cantaloupes to a wholesale market yourself, your product will be subject to the greatest price fluctuations. Produce auctions generally operate weekly; however, you must deliver your cantaloupes to the auction. Marketing cooperatives generally use a daily pooled cost and price, which spreads price fluctuations over all participating producers. Local grocery retailers are another possible market, but you must take the time to contact produce managers and provide good-quality cantaloupes when the stores require them.

Retail marketing options include roadside stands (either your own or another grower's), farmers markets, CSAs, and pick-your-own operations. These options can provide opportunities to receive higher-than-wholesale prices for your cantaloupes, but you may have some additional expenses for advertising, building and maintaining a facility, and providing service to your customers. With pick-your-own operations, you save on harvest costs, but you must be willing to accept some waste. Farmers markets are another retail option, but you should contact the markets well in advance of the marketing season to be sure space is available and to find out what requirements you must follow.

For more information on wholesale and retail marketing options, consult "Agricultural Alternatives: Fruit and Vegetable Marketing for Small-Scale and Part-Time Growers" and "Agricultural Alternatives: Developing a Roadside Farm Market."

Production Considerations

Cantaloupes grow best on soils that hold water well and have good drainage. Soil should have a pH of 5.8 to 6.6. Cantaloupes are very sensitive to cold temperatures, and even a mild frost can injure the crop. The best average temperature range for cantaloupe production during the growing season is between 65 and 95°F; temperatures above 95°F or below 50°F will slow the growth and maturation of the crop. Cantaloupes require a constant supply of moisture during the growing season. However, excess water at any time during crop growth, especially as the fruit reaches maturity, can cause the fruit to crack, which will reduce crop yields and melon quality.

Planting and Fertilization

Commercially produced cantaloupes are generally started as transplants in the greenhouse 18 to 24 days before being planted in the field. Because cantaloupes are a warm-season crop, they should not be transplanted until the soil temperature 3 inches beneath the soil surface reaches 60°F. Growers generally plant in single rows on plastic mulched beds that are 5 to 6 feet apart, with 24 to 30 inches between plants in the row (around 2,400 and 4,200 plants per acre). Rows are typically mulched with black (most commonly), green IRT (infrared transmitting), or blue plastic and set up to use drip irrigation. Providing the plants with drip irrigation ensures optimum plant growth and yields and allows you to apply fertilizer during the growing season. Fertilizer rates should be based on annual soil test results; if you are unable to conduct a test, the recommended N-P-K application rates are 75-100-150 pounds per acre. For more information on crop irrigation, consult "Agricultural Alternatives: Irrigation for Fruit and Vegetable Production" and "Agricultural Alternatives: Drip Irrigation for Vegetable Production."

Pollination

A large, active honey bee population is essential for complete pollination and fruit set. One hive per acre is recommended for maximum fruit production. Insecticides applied to flowers or weeds in bloom can adversely affect populations of pollinating insects. With some insect pests infecting cantaloupes during bloom, extreme care must be taken in the choice of insecticides during this crucial period.

Table 1. Recommended cantaloupe cultivars for Pennsylvania

*All cultivars are hybrids.
**As reported by seed companies.

Pest Management

A good integrated pest management program is critical in cantaloupe production to ensure high-quality produce. If you plan on using pesticides, you must obtain the proper license to purchase and use them on your farm. Contact your local Penn State Extension office or regional office of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for more information on pesticide licensing and application of restricted-use pesticides.

Weed management can be achieved with a good crop-rotation system, early cultivation, plastic mulch, and herbicides. Several preplant and postemergence herbicides are available for cantaloupes, depending on the specific weed problem and cantaloupe growth stage. If infestation levels are low, early cultivation (before vine running) can help minimize weed problems.

Insects are a major problem in cantaloupe production. Early feeding by striped or spotted cucumber beetles on young transplants can result in the plants being infected with bacterial wilt. Because these beetles carry this disease, insect management is an important part of disease management. Cucumber beetle, aphids, squash vine borer, seed corn maggot, leafminers, and rindworms (cucumber beetle larvae) can also cause crop losses. Monitoring insect populations with traps or by scouting will help you determine when or if you should use pesticides and how often you should spray.

Several cantaloupe diseases can cause crop losses, including bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt, and viruses such as cucumber mosaic, squash mosaic, and watermelon mosaic, as well as powdery mildew, downy mildew, and gummy stem blight. These diseases can be controlled by planting disease-resistant cultivars (see Table 1 for cultivars that have resistance to the various races of powdery mildew and Fusarium wilt), having a good crop-rotation system, growing on sites which have good air and soil water drainage, and selectively using fungicides.

Harvest and Storage

Cantaloupes are hand-harvested at the full-slip stage of maturity for best taste and texture. At full slip, the stem pulls away from the fruit, leaving a scar at the stem end. Because individual fruit are pollinated at different times, multiple harvests are typical. After harvest, check cantaloupes for size, maturity, and pest damage to ensure you are marketing a high-quality product.

You should refrigerate cantaloupes immediately after harvest to maintain quality. Cooling cantaloupes will remove field heat, which improves their shelf life. Cantaloupes will retain good quality for approximately 14 to 21 days if stored at 90 to 95 percent humidity and 47 to 55°F. Harvesting cantaloupes into bins and moving them to a shady area as quickly as possible will begin the cooling process. Marketing cantaloupes at harvest or renting cold storage space will eliminate the need for building and maintaining your own cold storage equipment.

Environmental Regulations

All agricultural operations in Pennsylvania, including small-scale and part-time farming enterprises, operate under the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. A specific part of this law is the Nutrient Management Act. Portions of the act may or may not pertain to your operation, depending on whether you have livestock on your farm. However, all operations may be a source of surface water or groundwater pollution. Because of this possibility, you should contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District to determine what regulations may pertain to your operation.

Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) are voluntary programs that you may wish to consider for your operation. The idea behind these programs is to ensure a safer food system by reducing the chances for foodborne illnesses resulting from contaminated products reaching consumers. Also, several major food distribution chains are beginning to require GAP- and GHP-certified products from their producers. These programs set standards for worker hygiene, use of manure, and water supply quality.

These practices require an inspection from a designated third party, and there are fees associated with the inspection. Prior to an inspection, you will need to develop and implement a food safety plan and designate someone in your operation to oversee this plan. You will need to have any water supply used by your workers or for crop irrigation and pesticide application checked at least twice each year. A checklist of the questions to be asked during the inspection can be found at the USDA's GAP & GHP Audit website. For more information about GAP and GHP, contact your local extension office or your state's department of agriculture.

You may also be impacted by the regulation Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) administered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FMSA governs recordkeeping, health and hygiene, water quality, and animal waste used as fertilizer, among additional requirements. For more information about FSMA, visit "Food Safety Modernization Act - Produce Safety Rule."

Risk Management

You should carefully consider how to manage risk on your farm. First, you should insure your facilities and equipment. This may be accomplished by consulting your insurance agent or broker. It is especially important to have adequate levels of property, vehicle, and liability insurance. You will also need workers compensation insurance if you have any employees. You may also want to consider your needs for life and health insurance and if you need coverage for business interruption or employee dishonesty. For more on agricultural business insurance, see "Agricultural Alternatives: Agricultural Business Insurance."

Second, check to see if there are multi-peril crop insurance programs available for your crop or livestock enterprises. There are crop insurance programs designed to help farmers manage both yield risk and revenue shortfalls. However, individual crop insurance coverage is not available for all crops. If individual coverage is not available for what you grow, you may be able to use the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program to insure the revenue of your entire farm operation. Information from your Schedule F tax records (or a "Substitute Schedule F for WFRP Purposes" if you do not file a Schedule F) from the past five consecutive years is used to calculate the WFRP policy's approved revenue guarantee. Operations that have expanded over time may be allowed to increase the approved revenue amount based on an indexing procedure. Depending on the number of commodities grown, you have the choice of coverage of 50 to 85 percent of your approved revenue. Coverage and premium costs depend on the level of diversification in your operation; the maximum level of insured revenue is $8.5 million (based on maximum adjusted gross revenues of $17.0 million and the 50 percent coverage level). WFRP also provides replant coverage if it not already covered under an underlying individual crop policy. More information on WFRP can be found at the USDA's Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) website.

Finally, the USDA Farm Service Agency has a program called the Noninsured Assistance Program (NAP) that is designed to provide a minimal level of yield risk protection for producers of commercial agricultural products that don't have multi-peril crop insurance coverage. NAP is designed to reduce financial losses when natural disasters cause catastrophic reduction in production. A basic level of coverage (50 percent of expected production at 55 percent of the average market price) is available for a fee of $325 per crop per county (fees are capped at $825 per producer per county, but not to exceed a total of $1,950 for producers growing crops in multiple counties). Higher levels of protection at the 50, 55, 60, and 65 percent levels at 100 percent of the average market price are available for an additional premium. NAP coverage is available through your local USDA Farm Service Agency office. The application fee for this program may be waived for eligible limited-resource farmers.

Sample Budget

A sample fresh-market cantaloupe production budget is included in this publication. This budget utilizes custom hire for most of the field work, which could be more economical for small-acreage growers. If you have your own equipment, you should substitute your costs for the custom hire costs. The budget summarizes the receipts, costs, and net returns of a cantaloupe enterprise. This sample budget should help ensure that all costs and receipts are included in your calculations. Costs and returns are often difficult to estimate in budget preparation because they are numerous and variable. Therefore, you should think of these budgets as an approximation and make appropriate adjustments in the "Your Estimate" column to reflect your specific production and resource situation. These budgets are developed for one acre; however, your scale of production should be based on your market considerations. More information on the use of crop budgets can be found in "Agricultural Alternatives: Budgeting for Agricultural Decision Making."

Initial Resource Requirements

• Land: 1 acre
• Labor: 10–12 hours plus harvest labor
• Harvesting and grading costs: $575 per acre
• Capital: $4,500–5,000
• Equipment needed:
  -- Tractor (45 hp or larger) with loader
  -- Tillage equipment, plastic mulch layer
  -- Pesticide application equipment for herbicide and fungicides

Sample Budget Worksheet

Sample Cantaloupe Production Budget

For More Information

Dunn, J. W., J. W. Berry, L. F. Kime, R. M. Harsh, and J. K. Harper. "Agricultural Alternatives: Developing a Roadside Farm Market." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2006.

Dunn, J. W., J. K. Harper, and L. F. Kime. "Agricultural Alternatives: Fruit and Vegetable Marketing for Small-Scale and Part-Time Growers." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2009.

Gross, K. C., C. Y. Wang, and M. Saltveit. The Commercial Storage of Fruits and Nursery Stocks. USDA-ARS, Agricultural Handbook Number 66. Washington, D.C.: Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, 2004.

Harper, J. K., S. Cornelisse, L. F. Kime, and J. Hyde. "Agricultural Alternatives: Budgeting for Agricultural Decision Making." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2019.

Jeavons, J. How to Grow More Vegetables. 8th ed. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2012.

Kelley, K. M., L. F. Kime, and J. K. Harper. "Agricultural Alternatives: Community-Supported Agriculture." University
Park: Penn State Extension, 2013.

Kime, L. F., J. A. Adamik, J. K. Harper, and C. Dice. "Agricultural Alternatives: Agricultural Business Insurance." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2019.

Kuhar, T. P., et al. 2020–2021 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Recommendations.

Lamont, W. J. Jr., J. K. Harper, A. R. Jarrett, M. D. Orzolek, R. M. Crassweller, K. Demchak, and G. L. Greaser. "Agricultural Alternatives: Irrigation for Fruit and Vegetable Production." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2001.

Lamont, W. J. Jr., M. D. Orzolek, J. K. Harper, L. F. Kime, and A. R. Jarrett. "Agricultural Alternatives: Drip Irrigation for Vegetable Production." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2012.

MacNab, A. A., A. E. Sherf, and J. K. Springer. Identifying Diseases of Vegetables. University Park: Penn State Extension, 1983.

Maynard, D. M., and G. J. Hochmuth. Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers. 5th ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley and Sons, 2007.

Website

Penn State Extension Vegetable Production

Authors

Revised by Elsa Sánchez, professor of horticultural systems management; Thomas Ford, extension educator; Lynn F. Kime, senior extension associate in agricultural economics; and Jayson K. Harper, professor of agricultural economics.

This publication was developed by the Small-scale and Part-time Farming Project at Penn State with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Extension Service.