Two-year agroecological testing of watermelon varieties selected by the Federal Research Center of Rice and Bikovskaya Cucurbits Breeding Experimental Station in various soil-climatic zones

In different agro-climatic zones of melon growing, an assessment was carried out and two-year results of agro-ecological tests of watermelon varieties of the Kuban and Volgograd selection were obtained. The cultivars of the Federal Research Center of Rice and Bikovskaya cucurbits breeding experimental station, which can be grown and are guaranteed to receive high yields of watermelon in the Central zone of the Krasnodar Territory and the Middle Volga region, are distinguished by yield and quality. Growing varieties of the Kuban selection Nitsa and Yubilyar in the steppe zone of insufficient moisture of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region for two years ensured a high yield of watermelon fruits - 16.0-17.4 t/ha, with a content of dry soluble substances in the fruit pulp of more than 10%. When testing varieties of the Volgograd selection in the Central zone of the Krasnodar Territory, varieties of the late-ripening group Ikar and Rubin showed a stable yield. Under different weather conditions of the growing season, the maximum yield of fruits was obtained. The Volzhanin variety was highly rated for quality with a sugar content of more than 12%, but under extreme weather conditions it may be inferior in yield to the varieties of the Kuban selection. A two-year agro-ecological test of watermelon made it possible to evaluate and identify varieties that are recommended to farmers for a particular growing area.