Research supports state watermelon
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Sources from MSU press release say, on a hot July morning, more than 60 people walked through dusty research fields at Mississippi State University to see for themselves how melon varieties performed in the state’s summer climate.
The 2026 Watermelon Field Day was hosted by the MSU Extension Service outside at the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Center and indoors at MSU’s A.B. McKay Food Research and Enology Lab. Growers joined researchers, graduate students, and Extension agents to learn what affects this sweet crop in Mississippi.
According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture, there were 306 farms growing watermelons on 1,401 acres across the state in 2022. This report found 101 farms grew cantaloupes and muskmelons on 203 acres, and 14 farms grew honeydew on 16 acres.
“It is likely that some of these farms grew all the different kinds of melons, so it is hard to determine the number of farms and total acreage in melons in the state,” said Pawel Orlinski, MSU Extension vegetable specialist and field day organizer.
This year was especially hard on watermelons, as heavy summer rains led to high yield losses. Some watermelon-producing areas, especially in south Mississippi, had 30 or more inches of rain and lost 60% to 90% of their crop.
Jason Wolfe, a watermelon grower in Tallahatchie County, had 50 acres of watermelons last year but dropped to 12 acres this year.
“I picked the first watermelons June 10, and I’m still collecting some,” Wolfe said. “I got about 600 per acre this year.”
His production came despite early flooding, then drought and some chemical damage to his fields.
“It’s been hard this year,” Wolfe said.
The MSU field day July 22 displayed 30 varieties of melons growing in MSU fields, with 18 varieties cut open so visitors could see the flesh.
“Watermelons were once grown on more acres than any other vegetable crop in Mississippi,” Orlinski said.
The decline in production can be traced in part to cool, wet spring weather that has hampered the crop in the last several years.
One problem that occurs often is herbicide drift, and Orlinski said some of the plants on display at the field day suffered from that problem this year. Rows with heavy weed cover growing around the vines actually provided some benefit.
“When they lost some leaves due to disease and the vines were stunted by herbicide drift, the weeds were the only thing protecting fruits from the sun,” Orlinski said.
Too many weeds hamper vine growth and fruit production, especially with the smaller varieties.
Diseases are a common problem in melon production in Mississippi and the Southeast. Rebecca Melanson, Extension plant pathologist, discussed this topic at the field day.
“Disease management recommendations vary depending on the disease, so it is important to diagnose the disease correctly,” Melanson said.
Successfully fighting disease problems was one reason that brought the Whitehead family to the field day. Anthony, his wife Lisa Brown-Whitehead and four of their sons attended the field day, examined the vines and fruit in the field, and asked questions.
“We’re trying to find out what type of disease we need to watch for,” Anthony said, citing one of the reasons they attended the event. “We had powdery mildew, and we need to know how to get rid of it.”
The family owns Whitehead Farms in Sardis. Lisa is a schoolteacher while Anthony works the farm full time in addition to providing tree removal and lawn services. Everyone helps out with farm chores, Lisa said.
One demonstration at the field day showed the effectiveness of three types of plastic mulch used to cover crop rows. Orlinski said clear plastic mulch is used before the crop is planted to sterilize the soil, or superheat it to the point pathogens are killed.
Misbah Munir, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher at MSU’s North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona, discussed the differences between the following mulches: clear plastic, black plastic and infrared transmitting, or IRT.
“It is way more effective to use clear than black plastic,” Munir said. “Trapped moisture creates a greenhouse effect that allows the sun’s UV rays to work on the soil.”
But clear plastic mulch cannot be directly used for growing crops. It can allow weeds to grow under the mulch, so it must be changed.
One MSU study is looking at using a non-toxic, plant-friendly white paint on the clear plastic mulch after soil sterilization and before the melon vines are planted.
“There is no need to change the plastic, which minimizes cost and reduces labor and disruption to the soil bed,” Munir said. “IRT is another option that does not have to be swapped out. It solarizes the soil and can be used directly as planting mulch.”
At the field day, Orlinski checked temperatures mid-morning on the three types of plastic mulch while attendees watched. The soil under IRT mulch was 97 degrees, black plastic was 94 degrees and clear plastic was 99 degrees. Orlinski said he measured 122 degrees under clear plastic the previous afternoon.
“104 degrees is what we aim for,” Munir said. “It is the temperature the soil must reach to suppress pathogens.”
Taylor Blaise, a master’s student in horticulture and a research associate working with watermelons in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, told of her work using fertilizers and biostimulants on Sugar Baby watermelons. Biostimulants are additives that help the vines resist abiotic stress. Abiotic stress is environmental factors such as drought and extreme temperatures that lower plant growth, health and yield.
Keith Benson, founder of the non-profit Alliance of Sustainable Farms, discussed opportunities for collaboration, training and support for small-scale growers. Jenny Ryals discussed organic production and the challenges associated with becoming organic certified. Jermaine Perier covered insect pressure facing melon growers.
For more information on MSU support for watermelon and other cucurbit crops, visit www.msstate.edu/agriculture.
