Improvement of pre-sowing tillage in the cultivation of melon crops

The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of pre-sowing tillage methods on the development of melons in conditions of risky farming. The research was carried out in the conditions of the experimental field of the Volgograd State Agrarian University. As an object of research, a working body has been adopted that prepares the soil for sowing with maximum compliance with agrotechnical requirements. Tillage was carried out on the same day with the sowing of watermelon "Impulse" on two equal plots. The plot treated with a cultivator with pointed paws was taken as a control one. Another plot was cultivated by an improved working body. During the research, soil moisture and hardness, as well as their effect on plant development were tested. The studies conducted with a comparative assessment of two working bodies has revealed that the plot cultivated by improved working bodies has shown more favorable soil parameters in terms of moisture and hardness compared to the control one. Despite a slight compaction of the soil below the roughness of the treatment (higher by 8-12% relative to the control one), the moisture level remained almost unchanged compared to the control plot, where humidity decreased by more than 4%. There was also a positive dynamics of plant growth and development (the emergence of watermelon fruits 7-10 days earlier) on the plot cultivated with an improved working body. The results of the research made it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of presowing tillage for sowing melons (for example, watermelon) by a working body with compacting cultivator points in conditions of risky farming.