Watermelon, Cantaloupe and Honeydew - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 539

WPJ juice as a functional food for increasing arginine avail-
ability, reducing serum concentrations of cardiovascular
risk factors, improving glycemic control, and ameliorating
vascular dysfunction in obese animals with type II diabetes.
Watermelon consumption has also been reported to reduce
blood pressure (Figueroa et al., 2011).

Production practices and cultivars
Cantaloupes contain two blossom types: “perfect,” that is,
having both male and female parts, and “male” (staminate)
flowers. Generally, the main stem produces three to four
major branches of equal or longer length than the main
stem; later, more lateral branches arise from both the main
stem, and branches and can produce additional fruit, pro-
vided the vines remain healthy (Schulthies, 1998). Can-
taloupes typically set in cycles in which several fruits are
set per plant in the first cycle, and additional fruit can be
set in subsequent cycles (Schulthies, 1998).
Cantaloupe is a warm-season plant that is sensitive to
freezing temperatures at any growth stage. Plant growth
is optimal at temperatures 85 ◦ -95 ◦ F(30 ◦ -35 ◦ C), which
becomes very slow

CANTALOUPE

Introduction
Cantaloupes are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family.
The shape of the fruit and appearance are quite varied,
ranging from partially netted to heavily netted (Orzolek
et al., 2006). Cantaloupes were first cultivated in the Near
East, from Turkey to China, including northwest India,
Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. In the Americas (West In-
dies), several cantaloupe races were grown as early as
1494. In North America, cantaloupes were cultivated by
the Native Americans near the present city of Montreal
in 1535 and in the vicinity of Philadelphia around 1748.
However, US commercial production started only after the
1870s, beginning in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jer-
sey (Orzolek et al., 2006). Presently, China, Turkey, Iran,
the United States, Spain, India, Egypt, Morocco, Mexico,
and Italy are the top ten cantaloupe producing countries
in the world; the production in China alone far exceeds
the combined output of the next nine countries in the list
(FAO, 2011).
True cantaloupes ( Cucumis melo “cantaloupensis”), not
commonly grown in the United States were originally des-
ignated as hard-rinded, rough warty, deeply grooved ('su-
tured') melons that are never netted (smooth), with salmon
or orange-red, sweet flesh (Naudin, 1859; Bailey, 1939).
These fruit were technically known as rockmelons or can-
taloupes, principally in Europe. The reticulatus race com-
prises netted melons but sometimes plain or almost smooth
with orange, greenish orange, green or greenish white flesh,
having a musky odor and an ethylene climacteric. This
group has been called “nutmeg” melons, “muskmelons,”
and “cantaloupe,” which is the generic trade name in the
United States. Innumerable intermediate horticultural C.
melo forms (i.e., cultivars) have arisen from various cross-
ings, which have obscured classification of the aforemen-
tioned races and groups, and more recently, Cucumis melo
L. reticulatus (netted) and cantalupensis (smooth) were
combined into one group, cantalupensis, due to numer-
ous similarities between groups and naming confusion,
that is, cantaloupe or muskmelon (Munger and Robin-
son, 1991). The words cantaloupe and muskmelon are used
rather loosely and are interchangeable; the discussion in
this chapter follows the same norm.

60 ◦ F(16 ◦ C). Cantaloupe plants can <

104 ◦ F(40 ◦ C) (Hartz et al., 2008).
The fact that fruit set requires bee pollination means that
weather conditions that can reduce bee activity (e.g., cold,
rain, high wind, or prolonged cloud coverage) may also re-
duce the yield (Hartz et al., 2008). Cantaloupes grow best
in pH 5.8-6.6 soils that hold water well and have good air
and water infiltration rates (Orzolek et al., 2006). Bost et al.
(2002) reported that excessive levels of nutrients, especially
nitrogen, may delay plant maturation and reduce fruit qual-
ity, while poorly drained soils often do not favor good sugar
development (flavor) during maturity. In California, plant-
ings are timed to provide a continuous supply of melons
from May through October (Hartz et al., 2008). In Arizona,
early spring and late fall plantings are most common, and
some new cultivars are coming into production that can
tolerate full summer heat.
A list of cantaloupe hybrids and cultivars grown in dif-
ferent states in the United States:
Arizona : 'Impact,' 'Gold Rush,' 'Navigator,' 'Oro Rico,'
'Olympic Gold,' 'Golden Kiss,' 'Ocotillo,' 'Laredo,' and
'Caribean Gold.'
California : 'Impact,' 'Ambrosia,' 'Bush Star,' 'Gold Rush,'
'Navigator,' 'Gold Express,' 'Oro Rico,' 'Archer,' 'Gold
Express,' 'Samson,' 'Topmark,' and 'Durango' (Hartz
et al., 2008).
Ohio : 'Early Sweet,' 'Burpee hybrid,' 'Superstar,' 'Sati-
coy' 'Athena,' 'Pulsar,' 'Aphrodite,' 'Minerva,' 'Eclipse,'
'Quasar,'

tolerate temperatures >

'Crescent,' 'Moon,' and 'Odyssey' (OSU,

2010).
Oklahoma : 'Ambrosia,' 'Mainstream,' 'Burpee Hybrid,'
'Magnum 45,' 'Caravelle,' 'Mission,' 'Classic,' 'Sati-
coy,' 'Cordele,' 'Summet,' 'Gold Star,' 'TAMUvalde,'
and 'Imperial 450' (Motes et al., 2007).
Pennsylvania : 'Ambrosia,' 'Aphrodite,' 'Athena,'

'Earligold,' 'Eclipse,' 'Fastbreak,' and 'Minerva'

(Orzolek et al., 2006).