The effect of water-soluble fertilizers on the yield and chemical composition of fruits of new variety of melon Ballada

Relevance. Due to the frequent fluctuations in air temperature and the lack of the necessary precipitation to increase productivity and preserve the quality of local melon varieties, it is necessary to develop and introduce new elements of cultivation technology into production.

Material and methodology. The objects of research are a new variety of melon Ballada and water–soluble fertilizers Energen Extra, Aquarin vegetable, Agricola. The listed fertilizers in the experiment are used for two-fold foliar treatment during the periods of lash formation and before the closure of the lashes (after two weeks).

Results. During the experiment, a comparative analysis of the yield and biochemical composition of the grown products was carried out. In the study period of 2022-2024, as a result of plant treatment with watersoluble fertilizers, yields in all variants increased by 11.5%-42.6% above the net control. However, the maximum harvest was achieved in 2022. This was facilitated by the uniform distribution of precipitation during the growing season and low temperatures at the beginning of plant development. The highest yield this year was obtained after treatment of plants with Agricola, 42.6% higher than the control variant. At the same time, the largest fruits (the average fruit weight is 2 kg) were also grown in 2022 as a result of the use of Aquarin vegetable and Agricola preparations. The minimum yield increase was achieved in 2024 and amounted to 11.5-24.6% above the control due to adverse weather conditions. There was not a single rain in May. In July, the temperature exceeded the annual average by + 2.8 Co. As a result of a comparative assessment of biochemical parameters, the sweetest fruits were grown in 2024. The dry matter content in all variants ranged from 15.2 to 15.6%, with the highest value in the Energen Extra variant. The minimum values of dry matter were recorded in 2022 in the variants of Energen Extra and Agricola. Accordingly, the maximum values of total sugar were obtained in 2024 in the Energen Extra variant of 13.3%, and the minimum values in the Aquarin vegetable variant of 12.2%. A decrease in total sugar is also noted in 2022, with maximum values in the Aquarin vegetable variant of 12.2%, minimum values in the Energen Extra variant. The largest accumulation of ascorbic acid, 45.5 mg%, was noted in 2022 in the Aquarin vegetable variant, and the minimum in the Agricola variant was 40.4 mg%. The lowest values of ascorbic acid were obtained in 2024. The maximum values of this indicator were noted in the Energen Extra variant of 33.6 mg%, and the minimum values in the control variant of 26 mg%. The values of nitrate nitrogen in the study period in all variants did not exceed the maximum permissible concentration of 90 mg/kg.

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