Relevance. The creation of varieties with a complex of economically valuable traits, resistant to biotic and abiotic environmental factors, is the main direction in melon breeding. The market for vegetables and melons and gourds is very dynamic, the demands for varieties are constantly changing, therefore, it is necessary to introduce new varieties with high taste and commercial qualities, as well as capable of producing high yields in a changing climate. The aim of the work is to produce a new melon starting material for use in the breeding process.Materials and methods. At the Bikovskaya cucurbits breeding experimental station – branch of the Federal state budgetary scientific institution "Federal scientific vegetable center", research was carried out from 2018 to 2020. The object of research is samples from the collection of VIR, foreign and domestic selection, hybrid combinations obtained as a result of intervarietal hybridization. Collection samples of melon were studied in the nursery of the source material: 84 samples from the VIR collection, 26 samples of domestic and foreign selection were studied.Results. As a result of the research, samples of melon with economically valuable traits were identified that meet the requirements of selection. Paired crosses with zoned varieties of local selection were carried out with them. As a result of hybridization, hybrid combinations F1 were obtained, from which the best ones were selected for further breeding work. The obtained collection samples and hybrid combinations were evaluated in terms of taste, yield, resistance to environmental abiofactors, dry matter content, large-fruited, attractive color of the fruit and pulp As a result received a new source material for the selection of new varieties and hybrids of melons with valuable economic traits. The resulting hybrid combinations of F1 melon were tested against an infectious background. Hybrid combinations with the best performance will be further studied in a breeding nursery.

The article presents a literature review on fasciation in pumpkin crops. In almost all pumpkin crops, you can find such a phenomenon as fasciation. However, it is more common in cucumbers and pumpkins than in melons and watermelons. Fasciation (or crystallization) is a change that can occur in the morphology of plant organs and usually includes expansion of the apical meristem of the shoot, flattening of the stem and changes in the arrangement of leaves. In pumpkin crops, the fasciated organs are often whips, flowers and fruits. A number of authors divide fasciations into inherited and non-inherited. The first are caused by internal reasons. The second is the effect of external factors, such as insect damage, injury, weather conditions. According to literature data, fasciation is caused by 1-2 recessive genes with incomplete manifestation and variable expression, which depends on a number of factors, including environmental conditions. The opp gene may have a pleiotropic effect on fasciation and leaf arrangement. In Federal Scientific Vegetable Center in spring film greenhouses, among the selection and collection samples of cucumber, fasciated plants ranged from 0 to 1.9%, depending on the genotype of the studied samples and the year of research (growing conditions). According to literature data, fasciation is more often observed in short-fruited, but it can also be detected in long-fruited forms of cucumber. Fused fruits are more likely to appear on cucumber hybrids with a large number of ovaries in the node. It should be noted, that highly fasciated plants are usually less productive, and most fasciated fruits are often classified as non-standard and rejected. Regular culling by breeders of fasciated samples and plants, within individual samples, will allow to create varieties less prone to fasciation. And compliance with the recommended varietal agrotechnics, improvement of the ecological situation will help to significantly reduce the number of fasciated plants and fruits and improve the marketability of products.

The results are reflected, which confirm the effectiveness of foliar fertilizing with organic fertilizer Agrohelate for melon plants of early varieties Tamanskaya and Strelchanka. A single treatment of plants in the seed plots in the flowering phase and the beginning of the growth of the first ovary contributed to better pollination. More than half of the fruits with typical varietal characteristics were selected for seed extraction: Tamanskaya varieties – 51.4% and Strelchanka varieties – 51.0%. The mass of fruits in the Tamanskaya variety increased noticeably by 0.16...0.23 kg on average, in the Strelchanka variety – by 0.12...0.42 kg. The data on the increase in the content of dry soluble substances in the pulp of the fruits of the first two harvests of melon variety Strelchanka by 0.8 ... 1.6% are given. In the pulp of Tamanskaya melon fruits, there was a tendency to increase the content of dry soluble substances. Fertilizer Agrochelate had an impact on the seed productivity of melon varieties. In the fruits of the Tamanskaya variety, 122–145 more seeds were ripened, and the number of feeble and unripe seeds was 5.5–7.2% less than in the fruits of the control variant. The number of puny and unripened seeds in the fruits of Strelchanka melon variety was 10% less. In weight terms, on average, 2.6 g more seeds were isolated from each fruit of the Tamanskaya variety than in the variant without treatment. A noticeable increase in the yield of seeds in the variety Strelchanka was not observed. Application of foliar application with organic mineral fertilizer Agrochelate did not affect the mass of seeds. The indicators of sowing qualities of seeds were high in all variants of the experiment: germination energy – from 58.1 to 81.5% and germination - from 90.7 to 97.3%. The analysis of the obtained results substantiates the feasibility of applying top dressing with Agrochelate organic fertilizer.

In Uzbekistan, there is a demand of the population for fresh melon fruits during the off-season. In the Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon Crops and Potato for the first time studies were carried out, when grown in a greenhouse, on the vegetative grafting of melon’s Zarkhal variety on the vegetable marrow varieties used as rootstocks. The aim of the research was to study the effect of vegetable marrow rootstocks on the variability of economically valuable traits of the Zarkhal melon variety and to identify promising combinations of vegetable marrow rootstocks that increase the yield and quality of melon fruits.Methods. The studies were carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the World Vegetable Center. As a control, ungrafted plants of the Zarkhal melon variety were used. For comparison with the control, plants of this variety were grafted onto their own plants. Also, plants of the melon variety Zarkhal (scion) were grafted in combinations on 10 varieties of vegetable marrow, which served as rootstocks. Vegetative grafting of melon on vegetable marrow rootstocks was carried out “in a split” in the phase of the first true leaf when the stem diameter reached 4.1–4.3 mm and plant height 4.4–5.9 cm.Results. In comparison with the control, in combinations of grafting the Zarkhal melon variety onto the Grecheskiye 110, Unumdor, Delicates and Skvorushka varieties of vegetable marrow, the flowering of paternal and female flowers, the onset of fruit formation was observed 2 days earlier. In the same combinations, fruit ripening was observed on 81-82 days, which is 4-5 days earlier than the control (86 days). They also had the tallest plants (203-205 cm), the plants formed 2-4 leaves more than the others. Marketable yields between combinations ranged from 7.89 to 9.75 kg/m2 . The melon variety Zarkhal, grafted onto its own plants, lagged behind the control in all phases of development and yield. The early yield in combinations was from 3.95 to 5.75 kg/m2 and amounted to 53-59% of the yield. The average fruit weight varied from 785 to 810 g.

Relevance. The soil and climatic conditions of the Lower Trans-Volga region are considered favorable for melon growing and make it possible to obtain high-quality products. The purpose of the research was to create new competitive varieties and hybrids of melon and pumpkin.Materials and methods. The object of the research is new varieties of melon and butternut pumpkin created at the Bykovskaya melon breeding experimental station. Melon cultivar Osen and pumpkin cv. Zhemchuzhina were used as standards. The methods of creation are intervarietal hybridization, individual and mass selection. During the growing season, appropriate observations and counts were carried out.Results. As a result of many years of breeding work at the Bykovskaya cucurbits selection experimental station, a melon cultivar 251 and a pumpkin cultivar 509 have been created. both producers and consumers. Therefore, the obtained varieties were evaluated for taste, yield, resistance to biological and abiofactors of the environment, dry matter content, fruit size, fruit and pulp color. During the comparative assessment of the accessions, it was determined that the new varieties of melon and pumpkin exceed the standards in terms of the main economically valuable traits. The average yield during the study, in the melon cultivar 251, exceeded the standard by 47.8%. In the pumpkin cultivar, the average yield for three years of research exceeded the standard by 69.6%. In terms of taste, the new melon variety was at the level of the standard, the cv. Osen. A variety of butternut pumpkin exceeded the standard in all quality indicators. The susceptibility to powdery mildew in the melon cultivar varied depending on the year of research. The melon sample showed resistance to anthracnose higher than the standard by 16.4 and 18.6%, over the years of study. In the pumpkin cultivar, resistance to powdery mildew and anthracnose was higher than the standard, on average by 34.9% to powdery mildew and by 28.6% to anthracnose. Thus, new varieties of melon and pumpkin meet the modern requirements of the industrial melon industry, are resistant to environmental stress factors, common diseases, and have economically valuable traits.

Melon crops have long been non-traditional crops in the Amur region, being grown in small quantities in household plots, while the climatic conditions of Southern Priamurie are favorable for their large-scale cultivation. The results of the study of 10 samples of watermelon and 4 samples of melons of domestic selection in the conditions of the southern zone of Amurskaya Oblast are presented. According to the evaluation of the collection, 7 samples of watermelon are selected: Start, Graal F1, Fronder, Vektor, Skorik, Rapid, Foton, and 2 samples of melon: Alisa F1 and Lolita. They are characterized by sufficiently early ripeness, high and stable yield of marketable fruits of good taste. These varieties and hybrids are promising for cultivation in the south of Amurskaya Oblast. The characteristics of these varieties are summarized and recommendations for their cultivation are offered.

9-23 August, 2011 Russian-Kazakh-Japanese expedition around south territory of Kazakhstan was conducted and the resulting 145 accessions of local and new entries of melon, watermelon, pumpkin and cucumber were gathered to be included into genetic collection of Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry. To all these accessions have been given a detailed description based on morphological, economical and biochemical characteristics.

Relevance. Due to climate change on the planet, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain high yields of melons and melons in rain-fed conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop modern methods of growing them. Accordingly, the use of new water-soluble fertilizers for the cultivation of melon in hot climates is a relevant work at the moment.Material and methodology. Objects of research: medium-ripening melon variety GP 599f and watersoluble fertilizers Lignohumate, Energen Extra, Zinc Sulfate. We have carefully studied options using these fertilizers for double foliar treatment of plants during the growing season.Results. As a result of studying new types of water-soluble fertilizers on increasing the vegetative mass of plants, yield and biochemical parameters of the variety sample, a positive effect was revealed. As a result of a comparative analysis of data on plant development after double treatment with the studied preparations, an increase in canes in all variants was noted in relation to the control by 4.3-18.7%. When calculating the yield in all studied options, an increase in these indicators was noted in relation to the option without treatments. After treating the plants with new types of fertilizers, the yield was 13.4-15.9 t/ha. The average fetal weight varied from 1.7 kg. up to 1.8 kg with maximum values in the Lignohumate and Energen Extra options. An analysis of the comparison of the biochemical composition of fruits showed that new types of fertilizers did not affect the taste and purity of the products. The dry matter content was noted to be 0.8-1% higher than the control variant. Nitrate levels in fruits did not exceed the maximum permissible concentration (90 mg/kg) and amounted to 24-28 mg/kg.

Relevance and methodology. Currently, due to changing weather conditions, the cultivation of melons and gourds is shifting to areas that were not previously engaged in melon growing. Therefore, the testing of available varieties in various environmental conditions is relevant. The purpose of this work is to evaluate melon varieties bred at the Bykovskaya melon breeding experimental station in various soil and climatic conditions. Three varieties of melon were used as the object of research. The tests were carried out in the conditions of the Volgograd region, the Krasnodar region and the Republic of Kazakhstan. During the research, the melon varieties were evaluated according to the following indicators: yield, duration of the growing season, dry matter content.Results. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the variety Harmonia was the most stable in terms of the duration of the growing season (75-79 days). A consistently high content of dry matter in all areas of the study was in the varieties Comet and Idyll from 12.0 to 15.0%. All varieties had a good tasting score. The average fruit weight of all melon varieties grown in Krasnodar and the Volgograd region was at the same level. The high average weight in the conditions of Kazakhstan was distinguished by the Idyll variety - 4.3 kg. The melon varieties Harmoniya and Idyllia have a consistently high yield in all three zones. The variety Kometa had the highest yield in the conditions of Kazakhstan - 16.3 t/ha. Thus, melon varieties that have been tested in different regions of cultivation have high quality indicators and yields and are suitable for growing marketable products in the regions of the study.

This article shows the influence of growth regulators and methods of their application on the passage of the main interphase periods and growth processes during melon cultivation. The use of growth regulators is one of the promising directions in the cultivation of melons. In the acutely arid areas of the Volgograd Volga region, the use of mineral fertilizers for melon crops, in bagar conditions, was not effective, since there was an acute shortage of moisture in the soil. Therefore, the most effective and promising for creating favorable conditions for the growth and development of melon plants, with the possibility of leveling negative environmental factors, is the use of foliar treatments in the cultivation technology with growth regulators. The studied drugs of the new generation have a wide range of physiological activity. They are designed to influence the parameters of growth and development of plants as a whole in various phases, as well as their organs, as well as the parameters of plant response to environmental factors.Results. Studies have revealed the dependence of the growth processes of melon plants on the methods of using growth regulators, the length of the lashes in the variants of using growth regulators for processing plants during vegetation is longer compared to soaking seeds, with their maximum length in the Phytozont variant (plant treatment) is 12.7-51.3% longer compared to other studied preparations.