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.

Relevance. The main direction of breeding melon Bikovskaya cucurbits breeding experimental station – branch of the FSBSI FSVC is the creation of varieties with valuable economic characteristics, especially with resistance to bioand abiotic environmental factors. To meet the needs of commodity producers and the population, varieties are needed not only with high yields, but also attractive appearance, good taste qualities. Very important: the rich color of the bark background, the proportional shape of the fruit and the sweet juicy pulp.Materials and methods. The research was carried out in 2020–2022 at the Bikovskaya cucurbits breeding experimental station – branch of the FSBSI FSVC. The object of research is melon varieties created over the past five years. The Osen variety was used as a standard. The main method of selection work with melon is intervarietal hybridization followed by individual selection.Results. Melon varieties were evaluated according to valuable economic characteristics, 6 best varieties were identified in comparison with the standard. In terms of yield, 2 varieties were distinguished (16.3 t/ha and 17.3 t/ha); in terms of dry matter content, 2 varieties (19%); in terms of large-fruited 1 variety (6.0 kg); in terms of the bright color of the bark background, 1 sample (bright yellow).

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is the most spread melon crop in Uzbekistan. More than 130 local varieties of melon are cultivated in various regions of the republic. Every year melons and gourds are cultivated on the area of 150 thousand hectares. The most harmful diseases of the melon are powdery mildew and Fusarium wilt. All local varieties of melon are susceptible to these diseases. Annually from these diseases, the yield of melon is reduced by 20-25%. The most effective way to combat these diseases is to develop resistant varieties. The Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon Crops and Potato has carried out long-term selection work to create melon varieties resistant to powdery mildew and Fusarium wilt. Breeding local varieties of melon with economically valuable traits and high test quality with genes for resistance to these diseases have been created and included in the State Register of Uzbekistan.

The priority direction in melon breeding is the creation of new competitively capable varieties that combine resistance to adverse environmental factors with valuable economic characteristics.Materials and methods. The object of the study is melon varieties 599 and 595. The purpose of this study is to study the influence of weather conditions on the yield and biochemical composition of the studied melon varieties in the conditions of the Volgograd Volga region. The research was carried out at the Bykovskaya melon breeding experimental station for three years according to the developed methods, the Osen variety was used as a standard.Results. The article presents the results of the influence of weather conditions on yield, fruit weight, and also presents an analysis of the biochemical composition of melon fruits. A complete description of the studied melon varieties is given. In terms of yield, the high indicators for cultivars 599 and 595 were in 2020 with the totals of average monthly active temperatures of 114°C and precipitation totals of 178 mm, and amounted to 19.0 t/ha and 21.3 t/ha. According to the content of dry matter in the fruit juice, according to the results of studies, it was seen that with the greatest amount of moisture, the indicators were higher in 2018 with a precipitation rate of 296 mm in cultivars 599 – 13.6%, in 595 – 13.2%, than in 2019 with a norm of 272.6 mm 599 – 12.0% in 595 – 11.6%. Thus, we can conclude that these melon varieties meet the modern requirements of the industrial melon industry.

Relevance. The determining value in modern melon production is to increase the yield and market yield of environmentally friendly products at minimum costs for the cultivation of melons. For the development of the melon industry in the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation, the scientific search for technological solutions aimed at creating conditions for increasing the yield and quality of melon products becomes urgent. Materials and methods. The object of research-melon, variety autumn. The types and doses of water-soluble fertilizers were studied: vegetable Aquarin, Novalon Foliar, and Hakafos. Fertilizers were used to treat plants during the growing season.Results.Studies have established a high effect of the use of water-soluble fertilizers on vegetating plants, which allow eliminating adverse environmental factors. The yield from the use of water-soluble fertilizers in melon cultivation technology for the years of studies is 31.3 86.7% higher compared to the control variant (without treatments). In more favorable climatic conditions of the year, the maximum yield was obtained in the variant with the use of Hakafos in a half dose, which had a more balanced content of nutrients compared to other studied water-soluble fertilizers –15.5 t/ha, which is 21.1% more compared to the minimum dose, 42.2% more compared to the treatment of plants with water and 1.8 times more compared to pure control. In the dry conditions of 2019 and lower air temperatures during the ripening period, a similar trend was noted. Comparative analysis of the biochemical composition of fruits showed that water-soluble fertilizers do not have a negative impact on the environmental purity of the product, the amount of nitrates for all years of research did not exceed the MPC (90 mg/kg). Studies have determined the positive effect of water-soluble fertilizers on improving the quality of fruits, the content of dry substances, one of the main indicators, in the study periods, exceeds this indicator in the control version (without treatments).

Relevance. One of the main methods for solving the problem of providing the population of the Russian Federation with vegetable and melon products is the development of selection and seed production. The creation of new competitive varieties and hybrids will enable the vegetable industry to transfer to a qualitatively new level of development.Material and methods.The object of research is new varieties and hybrids of watermelon, melon and pumpkin, created at the Bykov experimental station in the rainfed conditions of the Volgograd TransVolga region. Methods of creation are intervarietal and interlinear hybridization. Results and conclusions.As a result of breeding work at the station, a number of varieties and heterosis hybrids of melons and gourds were created, which significantly expanded the assortment of the melon breeding industry. Over the past 5 years, 4 varieties of watermelon, 2 heterotic hybrids of watermelon, 3 varieties of melon and 1 grade of pumpkin have been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements. The assortment of new varieties varies in terms of ripening, dry matter content, shape and color of the fruit background, as well as in color and pulp consistency. The length of the growing season of the created varieties and hybrids of watermelon ranges from 63 days in early ripening (Duet F1, Temp F1, Meteor) to 85 in the mid-ripening variety Malachite. The highest solids content of the new variety of watermelon Medunok is up to 14%. Among melon varieties, the shortest growing season is characterized by the Comet variety up to 70 days. All varieties have a high solids content of 14.0-19.0% and a thick flesh. Promising pumpkin varieties are distinguished by a bright coloration of the pulp, a high carotene content and a long storage period. Thus, the introduction of new varieties of gourds in commodity and home garden melon farming will allow the conveyor growing of products, increase the product mix and the period of consumption of fresh produce.

The article presents the results of studies of melon culture in the conditions of the Volgograd Zavolzhye. The purpose of scientific research was to determine the dependence of melon culture on the moisture content of crops for their further use in the  development of  the  necessary agricultural practices to increase the yield of melon without reducing the quality of the fruit. Evaluation of the research results showed that the level of water availability of melon crops has a significant impact on the growth and development  of plants. With an increase in total water consumption during the growing season by 18%, plants that are more powerful were obtained. During the formation and maturation of fruits, the length of the lashes is 17.2% more, the leaf area is 20.1% more with an increase in the total weight of the plant by 12.5%. The positive effect of the increased level of water availability of crops on the root system of melon plants was  revealed. With  the  total  water consumption of  2300 m3/ha, the root mass is 6.6% more than the moisture content of 1795 m3 /ha. The depth of the main mass of the roots is 1-3 cm deeper with an increased level of moisture, which contributes to a better use of available moisture by plants with the drying of the upper soil layer. Comparative  evaluation  of the yield of melon with different values of the total water in the vegetative period. The best results were obtained in the cultivation of melon with a moisture  level of 2300 m3  / ha, where the total yield of 31.7% more than the level of moisture 1975 m3  / ha, with larger fruits, the average fruit weight of  1.1  kg  more. Studies have determined the dependence of the biochemical parameters  of melon fruits on the moisture content of crops. Despite the rather high quality of  melon fruit, there was a decrease in dry matter and total sugar and an increase in vitamin "C"with an increased  level of moisture.

The genus Cucumis L. is polymorphic, includes annual and perennial species, distinguished by the type of flowering, ploidy, and resistance to diseases. C. sativus L. (cucumber) and C. melo L. (melon) are widely known species of the genus Cucumis L. Species of the genus Cucumis L. in their distribution are adapted to the diversity of habitats, are characterized by different level of adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress factors. Interspecific hybridization is an important method of enriching the gene pool of cultivated plants allowing to transfer of valuable characters from wild to cultural species. Clarification of the level of species crossability and the viability of the hybrids is an important factor in creating a valuable initial material for breeding. The prospects of using interspecific hybridization in breeding are shown, including the transfer of resistance to harmful diseases to cultural species. Morphological and biological characters of the species of the genus Cucumis L. and the level of their crossability are described. For practical use, the most interesting species are C. africanus L, C. aculeatus Cogn. and C. anguria L., whose compatibility level reaches 4.0%; they are characterized by heat and drought tolerance and resistance to a number of diseases. However, crossing species of the genus Cucumis L. is not always successful. The main reason is the phylogenetic distance of species, the differences in the number of chromosomes, as well as living form, etc. The use of modern breeding genetic methods of research to overcome the noncrosslinking of different species will facilitate the discovery and use of their biological potential.

Presents comparative characteristics of the 4 new varieties of melon breeding Bykovskaya melon experiment station in comparison with the standard. A brief description and varietal characteristics of the new varieties of melons of different ripening periods. Data on the yield, length of vegetation period, dry matter content, as well as complex resistance to diseases. According to the results of comparative evaluation in station variety testing, new melon varieties exceed the standard in yield from 2.7 t/ha (Harmony) to 4.6 t/ha (Originalnaya x Osen), in dry matter content from 0.2% Cometa variety to 1.1% Harmony variety (standard Osen variety – 13.0%). Testing for complex resistance to Anthracnose and powdery mildew revealed that the lowest degree of damage in a hybrid combination of the Originalnaya x Osen was powdery mildew – 51.3%, with a score of 1.4, anthracnose – 80.6% at a score of 1.5.