{"id":8830,"date":"2024-08-07T10:41:46","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T14:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/?p=8830"},"modified":"2024-08-07T10:41:46","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T14:41:46","slug":"can-mini-melons-be-profitable-for-nny-nnyadp-production-enterprise-budget-research-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/07\/can-mini-melons-be-profitable-for-nny-nnyadp-production-enterprise-budget-research-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Mini Melons Be Profitable for NNY? NNYADP Production & Enterprise Budget Research Results"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"3
Horticultural research funded by the NNYADP in 2023 compared the high tunnel production of muskmelons under (left to right) untrellised ground production, vertical mesh, and vertical double leader trellising systems. Photos: Elisabeth Hodgdon<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Willsboro, New York; August 7, 2024.\u00a0 The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has published production data and enterprise budgets analyzing melons as an alternative crop for farms with high tunnels. This research is one of NNYADP\u2019s horticultural projects evaluating opportunities to diversify crop options for spring-to-fall season extension and year-round local foods production.<\/p>\n

Regional Vegetable Specialist Elisabeth Hodgdon, Ph.D., and Agricultural Business Development and Marketing Specialist Lindsey Pashow with Cornell University compared the use of two vertical trellising systems \u2013 a double leader system and a mesh netting system \u2013 to untrellised production in a 30-foot by 96-foot unheated high tunnel. The trial was hosted at the Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, New York.<\/p>\n

Two varieties of miniature muskmelon, \u201cSugar Cube\u201d and \u201cTasty Bites,\u201d were grown using each system<\/strong> and organic production methods, including the use of pest exclusive netting and beneficial insects, including bumblebees, parasitoid wasps, and ladybeetles.<\/p>\n

A May 18th<\/sup> frost stunted the first planting. After reseeding, transplants were moved to the high tunnel on July 6, 2023. The melons on the trellising systems were pruned and clipped for six weeks until they reached the high tunnel rafters in late August.<\/p>\n

The melons were harvested two to three times per week beginning in early September and harvest continued until the first fall frost on October 30th<\/sup>. Marketable yield ranged from four to six marketable fruit with weights ranging from 7.28 pounds to 9.51 pounds per plant.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlants harvested in the untrellised system were harvested slightly earlier than with the trellising treatments, which can be beneficial to farms interested in being the first to market with a particular crop,\u201d Pashow noted.<\/p>\n

Six enterprise budgets were calculated<\/strong> to identify gross and net income for each variety grown under each of the three systems. Total market weight, yield, and unmarketable melon numbers were all considered in calculating income opportunity. The income potential was compared with the income estimates in studies by Pennsylvania State University and Iowa State University for the popular high tunnel-grown crops of tomatoes and cucumbers.<\/p>\n

The net income range<\/strong> of $1,184.43 to $2,835.66 calculated for the melon production systems in northern New York was compared with rough net income potential in studies by Pennsylvania State University and Iowa State University for the popular high tunnel crops of tomatoes ($1,374.00) and cucumbers ($2,550.00).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile our data suggests that melons likely will not replace tomatoes and cucumbers in a high tunnel system, they may be a valuable addition to a farm\u2019s high tunnel cropping plan. Growers must compare the various aspects of the data from this trial and decide whether the addition of melon production is a good fit for their farm,\u201d Dr. Hodgdon said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Willsboro Research Farm Manager Michael H. Davis, Ph.D., and Cornell Vegetable Specialist Judson Reid collaborated on the project; program aide Jennifer Stanton assisted with harvest and trial data collection. Click here to read the complete report for this project.<\/a>
\n\"Program
\nFunding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature through the New York State Assembly and administrated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Willsboro, New York; August 7, 2024.\u00a0 The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has published production data and enterprise budgets analyzing melons as an alternative crop for farms with high tunnels. This research is one of NNYADP\u2019s horticultural projects evaluating opportunities to diversify crop options for spring-to-fall season extension and year-round local foods production. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8830","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-press-releases","7":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8830"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8833,"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8830\/revisions\/8833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnyagdev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}