Gourd food crops. Growing gourds: general information and growing technology

TO gourds refer watermelon, melon and pumpkin, which, unlike vegetable plants, are cultivated in field and special crop rotations. Their agricultural technology is somewhat different from the methods of growing vegetable crops. "Bakhcha" in translation from Turkic means a garden.

One of the main tasks of melon growing is the creation of zones for obtaining guaranteed yields in irrigated areas, the production of melons in quantities that meet the needs of the population, a significant reduction in labor costs through the improvement of growing technology and complex mechanization.

Fruits of gourds are consumed fresh and used for processing. They play an important role as fodder crops.

They are also used in medicine. The fruits of melons and gourds are a delicacy, dietary food product, characterized by high taste and nutritional qualities.

The nutritional value of fruits lies primarily in the high content of carbohydrates, mainly sugars, which are well absorbed by the human and animal body (Table 1).

Continuation

The high sweetness of table watermelon fruits is due to large quantity fructose (glucose is low) with a significantly lower content of sucrose. In the best-tasting varieties of watermelon (Dessertny 83, Astrakhan, Rose of the South-East, Volzhsky 7), the content of solids in the fruit pulp reaches 13-14%, and sugars 10-12%, approaching these indicators to the best melon varieties. Watermelons grown in Central Asia, less sugary (6-9%). The fruits of fodder watermelon contain 3-5% dry matter (about 50% polysaccharides) and 1-3% sugars, which are mainly represented by fructose and glucose.

Melon fruits tend to be richer in sugars than watermelon fruits. Sucrose predominates in them, monosaccharides are much less (approximately the same amount of fructose and glucose). Mid-season and late varieties have a higher sugar content than early ones. In the best Central Asian varieties of melon, their number reaches 15%. The ratio of sugars in different varieties is not the same. Therefore, the sensation of sweetness does not always correspond to the total sugar content.

In pumpkin fruits, carbohydrates are mainly represented by polysaccharides. The ratio simple sugars they have about the same as melon, with a relatively low content. However, there are table varieties of pumpkin (Spanish 73, Winter Table A-5) with a very high content of dry matter (up to 20%) and sugars (up to 10%), especially after autumn-winter storage. In some fodder varieties of pumpkin (Hundred-pound, Mammoth), the amount of dry matter does not exceed 6%, and even less sugars. There are also few sugars in the fruits of zucchini and patisson.

In addition to sugars, the fruits of table watermelon (based on dry matter) contain up to 1.5% fiber and hemicelluloses, 1-2% pectin (up to 14% in wild species), melons - 3-7 and 1-4.5%, respectively. %, pumpkins and zucchini - 5-23 and 3-14%. There is a lot of starch in pumpkin (2-7% based on the crude substance), especially in unripe fruits. Starch is also found in the fruits of late-ripening melon varieties.

The fruits of fodder watermelon contain a lot of pectin substances (10-20% based on dry matter), which determine their very good keeping quality.

The high nutritional and dietary value of melons and gourds is due to the high content of not only sugars, but also vitamins, especially ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and in pumpkin and certain varieties of melon - also carotene. In some varieties of melon (Kolkhoznitsa 749/753, Bykovskaya 735), the amount of vitamin C in fruits reaches 60 mg% (average content 30-45 mg%), in table watermelon - about 10 mg%, fodder - 3-5 mg%, in pumpkin - about 15 mg%.

There is a lot of carotene in pumpkin fruits - an average of 4-7 mg% (in different varieties 2-10 mg%), in zucchini fruits - 1.5-6.5 mg%. From the world collection, pumpkin varieties have been isolated and created, in fruits, in which the carotene content sometimes reaches 40 mg%. Of the cultivated forms, varieties have the greatest amount of carotene butternut squash- Vitamin and Carotene 102. There is little carotene in watermelon fruits (about 1 mg%), in melon fruits with white pulp it is absent or very small, with yellow and orange flesh (for example, Ich-kyzyl variety) - significantly less than in pumpkin .

In addition to ascorbic acid and carotene, gourds contain vitamins Bi (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), PP (nicotinic acid), folic acid. and etc.

There are few proteins in gourds, but they are very valuable for nutrition. The pulp of watermelon fruits contains all the essential amino acids. Their number in the bark is even higher than in the pulp.

The fruits are rich in ash elements. Watermelon contains potassium - 0.22%, sodium - 0.016, calcium - 0.022, magnesium - 0.024, iron - 0.037, sulfur - 0.016%. Melon fruits are somewhat poorer than watermelon in terms of the composition of ash elements, but surpass it in the amount of sodium (0.111%) and sulfur (0.029%) - 4-35 mg% of copper and 1.62 mg% of cobalt accumulate in mature pumpkin fruits. Watermelon and melon also contain cobalt. In pumpkin and zucchini in large numbers contains potassium and phosphorus.

The fruits of gourds also contain organic acids - malic, succinic, citric, etc.

Sugars and other substances are unevenly distributed even within the same fruit. In watermelon and melon, the top and the central part of the fruit are the most sugary. The fruit base is poorer in sugars. Ascorbic acid is most in the central part of the fruit. The side of the fruit facing up towards the sun is usually more sugary than the lower part of the fruit, which is in contact with the soil surface.

Along with fresh consumption, melons and gourds are used in Food Industry for technical processing. The production of watermelon honey (nardek), various confectionery products (candied fruit, jam, molasses, marmalade, sweets, jam, marshmallow, etc.) has become widespread. Melon honey (bekmes) is made from the pulp of melon fruits. In "Central Asia, the pulp of melon fruits is dried - dried in the sun, and consumed directly in winter or used to make compotes. The fruits of zucchini and squash are used in the canning industry for the production squash caviar and mashed potatoes, stuffing, canning in the form of circles (saute), they are also pickled and salted separately or with other types of vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers). For pickling, non-standard and unripe watermelon fruits are used.

The seeds of gourds are also of great value. They have a high oil content. .The fat content in the air-dry kernel of seeds of various varieties of watermelon and melon is 39-52%, and in pumpkin - 41-48%. In relation to their total mass, watermelon seeds contain 14-19% fat, melons - 19-35%, pumpkins - 23-41%.

Oil of gourds, especially watermelon and pumpkin, is valuable in taste, rich in vitamins and is not inferior to the best edible oils. The oil cake obtained from the production of fat is a good feed for livestock. Gourds can produce up to 90-100 kg of oil per 1 ha. Roasted pumpkin seeds, especially gymnosperms, serve as a delicacy.

Seeds are also rich in protein substances (globulin predominates in freshly harvested seeds, there are also glutelin and albumin).

Gourds have great importance and for feed purposes. In the southern and southeastern regions of our country, they are the main succulent food for animals. They use waste and non-standard fruits of table watermelon and melon, fruits of pumpkin, zucchini and fodder watermelon. Pigs, when fed with pumpkin, quickly gain weight, cows increase milk yield, milk becomes thicker, sweeter, fat content and oil yield increase.

Fruits of gourds are fed to livestock mainly in fresh form, and are also used for ensiling, especially fodder watermelon, pumpkin and squash. Silage from them is distinguished by high nutritional qualities, has a pleasant smell and taste and is readily eaten by all kinds of animals. Silage gourds along with straw, chaff and other roughage.

Gourds are of great value for medicinal purposes. The fruits of watermelon and zucchini contain a lot of iron, and the fruits of melon - folic acid, which are important for blood formation. Therefore, they are very useful in anemia. The fruits of watermelon, pumpkin, zucchini, patisson are valuable in the treatment of diseases of the liver, stomach and kidneys as a diuretic and anti-constipation agent, useful in the treatment of heart disease and atherosclerosis (M. Marshak, 1959). Pumpkin pulp is used as an anti-inflammatory agent, and seeds - as an anthelmintic.

Gourds are of great agrotechnical importance. They are an excellent precursor to spring wheat and other grain crops.

The fruits of some types of pumpkin are used to make dishes and other household items and for decorative purposes.

Melons and gourds are characterized by high heat demand. Watermelon and melon are plants of the sultry south. The birthplace of watermelon is Africa, melons are Central and Asia Minor. This determined the main areas of their distribution: primarily the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Transcaucasia and Moldova.

Nutritional value and chemical composition. The fruits of watermelon and melon are used mainly fresh and in the canning industry for the preparation of watermelon and melon honey (nardek and bekmes), various confectionery products, candied fruit, marmalade, jam, marshmallow and other products. In Central Asia, the pulp of melon fruits is dried and eaten in this form or made into compotes. Non-standard young watermelon fruits are suitable for salting. The melon seeds accumulate a lot of high-quality oil, which is used in the confectionery industry and for other purposes. Dry watermelon seeds contain 14...19% oil, melon seeds - 19...35%, pumpkin seeds 23...41%. Pumpkin and watermelon seeds are processed into oil

the cake obtained at the same time is a valuable feed for livestock.

Fruits of gourds, pumpkins, are widely used as a valuable succulent feed for animals.

Table 1. Chemical composition of gourds

In terms of area occupied, the first place belongs to the watermelon, the second - to the melon, and only 10% is accounted for by the pumpkin. It does not apply to such sugar-bearing plants as watermelon and melon, it has a higher yield - when grown using intensive technology, more than 100 t/ha.

Botanical description. Watermelon, melon and pumpkin belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes more than 100 genera and about 400 species. The fruit is berry-like (pumpkin), reaches a mass of 20 ... 40 kg or more. Fruits are distinguished by the shape, color and pattern of the bark, the color and structure of the pulp, the shape of the seeds and other features. Different species of the Cucurbitaceae family differ in anatomical structure, but the general structure of the fruit is preserved for all melons. The fruit consists of bark, pulp, placenta (seed filaments or ovary sites from which ovules extend) and seeds. Placentas in pumpkins are dry, in melons they are dry 1 or wet, in watermelons they grow and grow together with the walls of the fetus. The bark is made up of several layers. Upper, bordering external environment, - single-layer, cuticle-covered epidermis. Its purpose is to protect the fetus from drying out, evaporation, and other adverse external influences, limiting transpiration. Under the epidermis layer there is a chlorophyll-bearing parenchyma of 8...10 cells. The color of the fruit, as well as the pattern, each variety has its own.

At the Plant Research Institute (VIR), T. B. Fursa identified ten ecological and geographical groups among the variety of its varieties: Russian, Asia Minor, Western European, Transcaucasian, Central Asian, Afghan, Indian, East Asian, Far Eastern, American. The classification of groups is based on the anatomical and physiological characteristics of plants and, above all, the degree of xero- or mesomorphism of appearance, manifested in the morphology and anatomical structure of the leaf blade, in the different sucking power and water-holding capacity of the leaf of these groups.

Russian eco-geographical group combines varieties of table watermelon, common in the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, in the southern regions of Ukraine, as well as early ripening varieties grown in the northern regions of Ukraine, in Western Siberia. General form of plants has the features of xeromorphic organization, which is manifested in the morphology and anatomy of the leaf, its relatively high sucking power. This type was formed in a hot dry climate with intensive selection for sugar content and improved taste. Local varieties of the Russian group are a valuable source material for breeding due to their high ecological plasticity and adaptability to adverse conditions environment. According to the sexual type, the varieties of this group are predominantly andromonoycysts - on the same plant they form male and bisexual flowers. Such varieties are only slightly cross-pollinated when sown together with others, which is important for establishing norms for spatial isolation. Among the watermelons of the Russian group, there are varieties with an uncut leaf: Whole-leaved 215, Yubileiny 72, etc. This trait can be used as a signal to obtain heterotic hybrids of watermelon with free cross-pollination of the original forms. Most varieties of watermelon currently released in Russia belong to the Russian eco-geographical group.

Asia Minor eco-geographical group, uniting watermelons grown in Turkey, has similarities with Russian, for which it was the original. Asia Minor watermelons probably penetrated into the southern Russian steppes through Greek colonies on the Black Sea, found favorable conditions here and gave rise to a more cultural type, ecologically close to the original. The xeromorphism of the organization is more pronounced in Asia Minor varieties than in Russian ones. Among them, there are many drought-resistant forms that are promising for use in breeding. There are almost no breeding varieties in the group, variegated and poorly cultivated populations predominate, however, there are individual samples with a high sugar content in the fruit.

Western European eco-geographical group combines watermelon varieties cultivated in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy. In a significant part, it was probably formed on the basis of the Russian assortment, but on the whole it is characterized by a more mesomorphic plant species, corresponding to the soil and climatic conditions of the region. Heterogeneous in composition and selection significance.

The Far Eastern ecological and geographical group is represented by varieties watermelon cultivated in Primorsky and partially Khabarovsk Territories Far East. Under the conditions of the moderately humid climate of Primorye, a peculiar ecological type was formed. Far Eastern watermelons are the most early-ripening among the entire world assortment - the period from germination to ripening is 60-70 days for them. They are characterized by a poorly developed vegetative mass, very small fruits with a slightly sweet tasteless pulp containing many seeds. The general appearance of plants is mesomorphic; sexual type of monocyst. There are samples with a lemon-yellow color of the pulp. Varieties, as a rule, are represented by variegated populations, among which sugary forms can be selected. Far Eastern watermelons are of interest for breeding due to their exceptional early maturity.

Transcaucasian eco-geographical group represented by varieties of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. It occupies an intermediate position between the varieties of the Russian and Central Asian ecological and geographical groups. Watermelons of Armenia are closer to Russian and Asia Minor varieties, while Azerbaijani and Georgian varieties are closer to Central Asian ones. The appearance of plants is characterized by well-pronounced mesomorphism. The leaves, as a rule, are slightly or medium dissected, the fruits are large, thick-skinned. The assortment is dominated by local populations, the sugar content is usually low.

Central Asian eco-geographical group unites varieties of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, South Kazakhstan and Western China. It is very polymorphic both in terms of morphological and economically valuable traits. Dominated by local varieties represented by variegated populations. The general character of the varieties is mesophilic, the sexual type is monocysts and andromonoycysts, occurring equally. The varieties of this group are characterized by large fruits with thick bark and rough flesh, many of them are valuable for their high keeping quality.

Afghan Eco-Geographic Group unites watermelons of Iran and Afghanistan, in many respects similar to those of Central Asia. Iranian varieties are more diverse than Afghan varieties in shape, fruit color, pulp, sugar content, but in general they constitute one ecological type; it can be defined as rude, uncultured. The fruits of the varieties of this group are usually large, often irregular shape, thick-skinned, with rough, fibrous, pale-colored pulp, having a low sugar content. Varieties are mainly heterogeneous populations, among which there are forms that are valuable for breeding. Heterogeneity is manifested by the sexual type (along with andromonoycysts, which predominate in this group, monoycysts are also found), as well as in the appearance of plants, xeromorphic in some varieties and mesomorphic in others. Among the varieties of this group, there are unusual forms for watermelon with yellow and orange color of the fruit.

Indian Eco-Geographic Group represented by varieties of North-West India and Pakistani

tana. Large-fruited varieties predominate. They have a thick bark, the flesh is pale-colored.

They have nutritional value.

East Asian group(Japan, China, Korea) - small-fruited with thin bark with yellow or orange color prevail. Valuable for greenhouses.

American group- large-fruited varieties with a cylindrical or oval shape, the fruits are leveled, resistant to anthracnose and fusarium wilt (source of resistance in breeding).

In each ecological and geographical group, certain morphological types of varieties are identified, which are based on the shape and color of the fruit, that is, distinctive approbation features.

The whole variety of watermelon varieties according to these characteristics fits into 32 variety types:

1. Ball-shaped, white, without a pattern or with mesh elements.

2. Spherical, golden yellow, without a pattern or with indistinct stripes.

3. Spherical, orange-yellow, without a pattern, segmented.

4. Spherical, light green or salad, without a pattern, segmented.

5. Spherical, light green, with mesh or mesh stripes.

6. Cylindrical, light green or white, with mesh or mesh stripes.

7. Spherical, light green, with narrow mesh (filamentous) stripes.

8. Oval, less often spherical, gray-green, with mesh or mesh stripes.

9. Spherical, light or gray-green, with dark green strokes at the stem (marble pattern).

10. Spherical or oval, gray-green, with dark green mesh stripes.

11. Globular, whitish or light green, with whitish prickly stripes.

12. Spherical, whitish, or light green, with narrow dark or black-green prickly stripes.

13. Oval or cylindrical, whitish, with narrow dark or black-green prickly stripes.

14. Spherical, whitish or light green, with wide stripes.

15. The same, but with fully interlocking processes (mosaic pattern).

16. Cylindrical, light green, with wide green prickly stripes.

17. Spherical, light green, with green blurred stripes.
18. Spherical, light green, with dotted and dark green blurred stripes (chintz pattern).

19. Spherical, light green, with wide dark green blurred stripes, almost covering the background.

20. Cylindrical, light green, with broad blurred green stripes.

21. Spherical or oval (pear-shaped), green with mesh and mesh stripes.

22. Cylindrical, green, with mesh or mesh stripes.

23. Spherical, green, with an indistinct pattern.

24. Cylindrical or oval, green, with an indistinct pattern.

25. Spherical, green, with black-green narrow spiny stripes.

26. Spherical, green, with dark or black-green wide spiny stripes.

27. Cylindrical or oval, green with wide dark green spiny stripes.

28. Spherical, green, with dull green blurred stripes.

29. Spherical, green, with dark green blurred stripes.

30. Spherical, dark green, with black-green prickly stripes.

31. Spherical, black-green, with or without a hidden pattern.

32. Cylindrical or oval, black-green, with or without a hidden pattern.

Table 2. Inheritance of the main approbation features of watermelon in a hybrid

The most promising option for watermelon hybrid seed production is the use of lines with gene male sterility and marker traits for culling non-hybrid plants.

Gourd cultures.
These include watermelon, melon, pumpkin. The fruits of these plants are very rich in sugar, vitamins, organic acids, salts of potassium, iron, phosphorus, and in terms of the content of provitamin A, it surpasses carrots.
Melons are light-loving and heat-loving plants that develop normally only at high air and soil temperatures.
Seedlings, after sowing seeds, appear on the fifth, sixth day. The formation of the first true leaf begins after three to five days; the second true leaf again in three, five days, and so on. The plant branches in five or six days, then the first flower appears in the same way in five or six days.
Watermelon more heat-loving than melon and pumpkin, but melon is more drought-resistant. Pumpkin is more cold-resistant than watermelon and melon.
The optimum temperature for flowering and fertilization of gourds is at least 20 degrees at night and 20 to 25 degrees during the day. Frosts are detrimental to melons and gourds.
These crops are considered drought tolerant as the plants have strong root systems, dissected leaves covered with hairs, but these crops, especially pumpkin, require a lot of soil moisture.
Good predecessors for gourds are all vegetable crops and corn.
In the fall, deep plowing (digging) of the area for melons is necessary; weeding and loosening the soil are carried out before sowing.
To obtain friendly shoots, the seeds are soaked, germinated, treated with various preparations. The bent seeds are planted in warm and necessarily moist soil.
Since the pumpkin is a more cold-resistant plant, it is sown first, then melon and watermelon. Seeding depth from three to seven centimeters. Seeding depth depends on weather conditions, soil type, how dry upper layer soil. When sowing in holes, it is better to place the seeds at different depths. If the top layer of soil is dry, it must be removed to a wet layer, the seeds should be planted in moist soil, and a thin layer of dry soil should be sprinkled on top so that a crust does not form on the moist soil.
For creating favorable conditions growth and development of gourds, weeds must be destroyed; carry out thinning of plants in the holes; loosening the soil; powdering and pinching lashes; pest and disease control; watering; top dressing.
When weeding and loosening in the rows, the soil is poured under the cotyledon leaves, while creating a favorable air regime of the soil, additional roots are formed in the plants.
Very useful powder lash melons. So that the wind does not turn over and twist the whips, a knot is sprinkled, located from the base of the whip for three-fourths of the length. If the pinching of the branches is done, this increases the yield, and also increases the size of the fruit.
In order for the plant to form additional roots at the beginning of growth and development, during weeding and loosening, the plants are spudded, adding soil under the cotyledon leaves.
Gourds, and watermelon and melon especially, need watering during the period of flowering and fruit formation.
To obtain early production of melons, use a protected ground; early-ripening varieties are sown; cultivation through seedlings, it is obtained in greenhouses and greenhouses or film shelters are used.
As they mature, gourds are harvested. A watermelon is considered ripe if the tendril dries out in the axil of the leaf, near the stalk. On the surface of the fetus, a shine and a clearer pattern are acquired, and when hit with a click, a dull sound appears.
A melon is considered ripe by the change in color of the bark from green to yellow; a fragrant smell is acquired; the fruit is easily separated from the stem.
The ripeness of the pumpkin is determined by the dried, corked stalk, it is harvested before frost.

Zucchini, squash, zucchini, belong to the gourd family and are early maturing crops. The fruits are harvested already 1.5-2 months after sowing and harvesting is completed before the appearance of frost.
For food, zucchini and squash use 6-8-day fruits, they are harvested after 2-3 days.
These plants are bushy, the internodes are short, there are almost no lateral shoots. The leaves are large, green, the root is highly branched, goes deep into the soil. The flowers are unisexual, pollinated by insects.
In zucchini and zucchini, the fruits are elongated, the color of the fruits is from pale green to dark green with a pattern. In zucchini, the fruit pulp is very tender, juicy.
The fruits of squash are dish-bell-shaped, the pulp is denser than that of zucchini.
Grow zucchini and squash by sowing in the ground or seedlings when the threat of spring frost has passed.
The best predecessors for zucchini and squash are early vegetables, onions, root crops, tomatoes, legumes, potatoes.
The plot before sowing or planting seedlings in open ground, dig up and apply organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as fertilize with ash.
Seeds are sown in holes in three pieces, the distance between the holes is 60-70cm.
Seeds can be soaked before sowing for faster germination, but required condition sowing, only in moist soil.
During the period of seedling development, they need watering, in the future, watering may be less frequent, but plentiful. After germination, weak plants are removed, leaving one plant per hole.
Further care for plants of zucchini, zucchini, squash, consists in regular watering; loosening the soil; hilling and fertilizing plants.
These fruits have good keeping quality and transportability.

Gourds - watermelon, melon and pumpkin - are cultivated to produce juicy fruits that are distinguished by high palatability. The fruits of table watermelon and melon contain 6-12% sugar, vitamins B, B 3 , C, PP, etc. There are a lot of iron salts and folic acid in watermelon. In addition to direct consumption of these fruits in the canning and confectionery industry, honey (from juice), candied fruit, jam, marshmallow and other products are prepared.

Pumpkin with yellow flesh is rich in phosphorus salts and carotene, contains a lot of phytoncides.

For livestock feed, fresh fruits of fodder varieties of pumpkin and watermelon are usually used. They are considered a valuable dairy feed. 100 kg of fodder pumpkin contains 10 fodder. units and 70 g of digestible protein; in 100 kg of fodder watermelon - 9 fodder. units and 40 g of digestible protein.

Edible oil is extracted from the seeds of gourds, especially pumpkins.

yield the best varieties watermelons on non-irrigated lands is 25-30 t/ha, and on irrigated lands - 40-50 t/ha and more. The yield of melon is from 16-18 to 50 t/ha and pumpkin from 35 to 70 t/ha and more.

Gourds belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes three of the most important genera in the culture: watermelon (Citrullus), melon (Melo) and pumpkin (Cucurbita). Plants of these genera are annuals, very similar to each other in the structure of vegetative and generative organs.

Watermelon. It is represented by two species: table watermelon (Citrullus edulus Pang.) and candied fodder watermelon (Citrullus colocynthoides Pang.).

Root table watermelon rod, strongly branched, reaches a depth of 3-5 m and spreads to the sides up to 7 m. The stem is creeping, long-braided (2-5 m), with 5-10 branches, pubescent with hard hairs. The leaves are strongly dissected into pinnately incised lobes, stiffly pubescent. Flowers are quinary, yellow, dioecious; the female flowers are larger than the male flowers (Fig. 22). Cross-pollination by insects. The fruit is a multi-seeded false berry (pumpkin) on a long stem, spherical, oval or oblong, painted white-greenish or dark green, often with a marbled pattern. The bark of the fruit is leathery, fragile, with a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 cm. The pulp is of various consistency, carmine red, pink, less often white or yellow color, tasting sweet or slightly sweet. The pulp contains from 5.7 to 13% sugar. Fruit weight from 2 to 20 kg. Watermelon seeds are flat, ovoid, 0.5-2.0 cm long, with a scar along the edge and a hard peel of white, yellow, gray, red and black, often with a spotted pattern. Weight of 1000 seeds 60-150 g.

feed watermelon in its structure is somewhat different from the dining room. Its root system is more powerful. Leaves with larger shortened segments. The flowers are large, with pale yellow veins.

Rice. 22.

1 - female flower; 2 - male flower; 3 - pollen; 4 - part of the escape

chick. male flowers located on long pedicels, female - on shortened ones. Fruits of various shapes - spherical or oval-oblong, green or light green in color with dark stripes, marble pattern. The pulp of the fruit is pale green, contains 1.2-2.6% sugar. Fruit weight from 10-15 to 25-30 kg or more. Feed watermelon seeds without rib. The weight of 1000 seeds is 120-130 g and more. Table watermelon is one of the heat-loving, heat-tolerant and very drought-resistant plants. In moist soil, its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 16-17 ° C. Shoots appear on the 8-10th day. Frosts -1 * C are fatal for them. The most favorable temperature for the growth of stems and leaves is 20-22 °C, and for the development of fruits 25-30 °C.

Table watermelon is a photophilous plant of a short day. The best soils for him, sandy and sandy loam. Loamy and clayey soils are of little use, as they firmly retain moisture and do not warm up well.

Fodder watermelon, compared with table watermelon, is less demanding on growing conditions.

The following varieties of table watermelon are common: Astrakhansky, Borchansky, Zemlyanin, Lotus, Extraordinary, Spark, Rose of the South-East, Sinchevsky, Kholodok, Shironinsky.

Of the varieties of fodder watermelon, Diskhim is the most famous.

Melon. Represented by many species. We have common melons with soft pulp: handalak (Melo chandalak Pang.), adana, or Cilician (Melo adana Pang.), cassaba (Melo cassaba

Pang.), and with dense pulp: charjou (Melo zard Pang.), ameri (Melo ameri Pang.), cantaloupe (Melo cantalypa Pang.). These species are very similar.

The root system of a melon is less powerful than that of a watermelon, it consists of the main root, penetrating to a depth of 3-4 m, and superficially located numerous lateral branches. The stem is creeping, cylindrical, hollow, strongly viscous, hard-haired. Leaves are kidney-shaped or heart-shaped, on long petioles. Flowers are orange-yellow. The fruits are large, of various shapes and colors. The pulp is loose or dense, contains 12% sugar. Seeds are ovoid, flat, white-yellow, 0.5 to 1.5 cm long, contain 25-30% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 35-50 g.

By their own biological features melon approaches watermelon, but is more thermophilic and less drought-resistant, it is easier to put up with loamy soils.

Varieties: Kolkhoznitsa 749/753, Kazachka 244, Koi-bash, Khandalyak Kokcha 14, Dessert 5, Ameri 696, Tavria, Golden, Livadia, Dream, Golyanka, Hoarfrost, Samara, Amber.

Pumpkin. In culture, it has three types: common table (Cucurbita rero L.), large-fruited fodder (Cucurbita maxima L.) and nutmeg (Cucurbita moschata Duch.).

The root system of all types of pumpkin is well developed. Stem common pumpkin creeping. Some of its varieties are characterized by a bush form (zucchini). The leaves are five-lobed, with coarse styloid pubescence. The male flowers are collected several times in the axils of the leaves, the female flowers are solitary, located on the side branches. The fruit is obovate, spherical or oblong, with fibrous sweet pulp containing 4-8% sugar. Seeds of medium size and small, oval, with a clear rim, white, cream or darker in color, contain 36-52% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 200-230 g.

fodder pumpkin large-fruited has a cylindrical hollow creeping stem. The leaves are reniform, weakly emarginate, pubescent with coarse hairs. The flowers are very large, orange-yellow. The fruits are spherical, flattened or elongated, reaching 50-70 cm in diameter, various colors. The flesh of the fruit is loose, juicy, orange, less often white, contains 4-8% sugar. Seeds are large, smooth, with an indistinct rim. Oil content in them 36-50 %. Weight of 1000 seeds 240-300 g.

Butternut squash has a creeping branched stem. Leaves are reniform, cordate-notched or lobed, pubescent with fine hairs. The flowers are green or reddish-orange. The fruit is elongated, with interception, the pulp of the fruit is dense, contains 8-11% sugar. Seeds of medium size, dirty gray, with a clear rim, contain 30-46% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 190-220 g.

Pumpkin is less thermophilic and drought-resistant than watermelon and melon. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 12-13 °C. Seedlings are less affected by frost. Pumpkin works best on loamy soils.

Varieties: Bashkirskaya 245, Biryuchekutskaya 27, Hybrid 72, Gribovskaya winter, Donskaya sweet, Zorka, Almond 35, Prikornevaya, Troyanda, Khersonskaya, Khutoryanka.

Cultivation practices. Gourds are demanding on soil fertility and cleanliness of fields from weeds. They work well on virgin and fallow lands, on a layer of perennial grasses and on floodplains. In field crop rotations good predecessors gourds are winter cereals, corn, annual grasses. For specialized melon-growing farms, crop rotations are recommended with the following alternation of crops: 1 - winter rye + grasses; 2 - herbs of the 1st year; 3 - herbs

2nd year; 4 - herbs of the 3rd year; 5 - gourds; 6 - melons; 7 - spring wheat; 8 - corn for silage. In such a crop rotation specific gravity gourds is 25%.

It must be remembered that the fields on which herbicides were used in the crops of previous crop rotations are unsuitable for the placement of gourds.

The correct use of mineral and organic fertilizers increases productivity, accelerates ripening and improves the quality of gourds. As an organic fertilizer for watermelon and melon, manure is applied (with deep autumn tillage) in the amount of 15-20 t/ha and for pumpkin - 30-40 t/ha. Higher doses of manure for these crops can cause a delay in fruit ripening and deterioration in their quality.

At the same time with organic fertilizers contribute minerals. It is recommended to apply per 1 hectare n^PcLo or N 60 P 45 K 50 for autumn tillage and N IO P 15 K, 0 in rows when sowing. Mineral fertilizers increase the yield of watermelons by 25-30%, and the sugar content by 2-3%.

In addition to the main and sowing fertilizer, it is also desirable to feed plants before flowering - N ^ R ^ K ^.

Soil tillage for melons and gourds includes autumn (8-10 cm plowing and plowing with plows with skimmers to a depth of 25-30 cm) and spring tillage, consisting of harrowing and cultivation (at least two), followed by harrowing. In the northern areas of melon growing on highly compacted soils, the first spring cultivation is often replaced by plowing. When the topsoil dries out, rolling is applied.

For sowing, seeds are taken from fully ripened healthy fruits. Seed germination should be at least 90%. Before sowing, the seeds are subjected to air-thermal heating in the sun for

3-5 days or heated for 4 hours at a temperature of 50-60 ° C, soaked in water at room temperature for 24 hours 1-2 days before sowing. Warming up the seeds increases the yield of watermelons by 11-20%.

Seeds of gourds are treated in advance against diseases with 80% sp. TMTD (4-5 g per I kgeemyan). The seeds are treated with a suspension of the drug - 5-10 liters of water per 1 ton of seeds.

The optimal sowing time is the establishment of soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm for watermelon and melon 12-14 ° C, for pumpkin

9-10 °С. Watermelon seeds sown under these conditions sprout after 9-10 days, melons - after 8-9, pumpkins - after 6-7 days.

When sown in insufficiently warmed soil, the seeds of melons and gourds can rot and give sparse shoots. Late sowing also greatly reduces their yield.

Sowing of gourds is carried out with gourds seeders. For sowing, corn and cotton seeders are sometimes also used on farms.

The feeding area depends on the variety, climatic conditions, soil fertility. Recommend the following schemes sowing, m: watermelon -

2.5 x (1.5 ... 1.7); 2.1 x (2.1 ... 1.4); 1.8x1.8; melon - 2.5 x (0.8 ... 1.0); 2.1 x(0.8...1.2); pumpkin - 2.5x (1.8 ... 2.0); 2.8x (1.5 ... 1.8).

The seeding rate for watermelon seeds is 1.5-3.0 kg/ha, pumpkins 3-5, melons 2-4 kg/ha. The sowing depth of watermelon and pumpkin seeds is 6-8 cm, melon 4-6 cm.

Care of crops of gourds and melons includes harrowing and loosening with rotary hoes until shoots appear to break the crust and destroy weed seedlings, as well as inter-row tillage to a depth of 12-15 cm during the first and 8-10 cm during subsequent loosening. When processing row spacings, overgrown lashes of plants must be removed to the side so that they are not damaged by tractor wheels and tillage implements.

To do this, in the same unit with the cultivator, a lash layer is installed, which pushes the lashes from the middle of the aisle to a width of 50-60 cm, sufficient for the passage of the wheels of the tractor and the cultivator.

For inter-row tillage, cultivators KRN-4.2, KRN-5.6 and melon cultivator KNB-5.4 are used, for weeding in rows - weeding unit PAU-4.

To prevent tangling of the lashes by the wind, they are sprinkled with damp soil. This causes the formation of additional roots, which improves plant nutrition. Good results are obtained by pinching (chasing) the ends of the lashes during the flowering of male flowers.

In the fight against peronosporosis, crops are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid, 1% solution, for copper sulphate (600 l / ha), against powdery mildew dusted with ground sulfur powder (15-30 kg/ha). The processing of melons is stopped 15 days before the start of the harvest.

Irrigation is of great importance in the cultivation of gourds in Russia. Under melon crops, 3-5 vegetation irrigations are given with an interval of 10-15 days. They begin long before flowering, then temporarily stop and resume when fruit is set. Irrigation rate is 600-800 m 3 / ha.

Cleaning. Gourds do not ripen at the same time. Therefore, table watermelon, melon and zucchini are harvested in 2-3 doses (as they mature), and pumpkin and fodder watermelon - in one go, before the onset of frost. Signs of ripening watermelon fruits are drying of the stem, coarsening of the bark and the appearance of a clear pattern on it. Ripe melons acquire the color and pattern characteristic of the variety. The ripeness of a pumpkin can also be determined by the color and density of the peel.

For selective harvesting of gourds, a wide-cut conveyor TSHP-25 is used. Ripe fruits are plucked and placed in the meshes of a conveyor belt, which guides and stacks them directly into the body of a nearby vehicle. During the last continuous harvesting of watermelons, one-time harvesting for seeds and pumpkin harvesting, mechanized harvesting of fruits into windrows with a UPV-8 windrower, picking up windrows with a PBV-1 pickup and soft laying them in vehicles give a great economic effect.

The described harvesting technology reduces labor costs by 5-6 times compared to the technology of harvesting with the removal of fruits to the side of the field.

When transporting melons and gourds, the container method of transportation should be more widely used, which reduces manual labor in loading and unloading operations, improves product quality and reduces transport downtime.

For storage, fruits are selected without damage. Watermelons are stored at a temperature of 2-3 ° C, melons - at 0-2 ° C and optimal humidity air 75-85%, pumpkin - at 10 ° C and relative humidity 70-75%.

) belong to the gourd family ( Cucurbitaceae), which includes 114 genera and 760 species. There are tree and shrub forms. Melon crops - natives of the tropical and subtropical countries of Asia, Africa and America. Their fruits are eaten fresh and used as fodder crops, as well as in medicine. They contain potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur. Melons also contain vitamin C, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin.

Literature

• VF Belik Melons. Moscow, Kolos. 1975.
• SE Grushevoy Agricultural phytopathology. Moscow, Kolos. 1965.
• I. P. Maslennikov, M. V. Orekhovskaya et al. Pests and diseases of vegetable crops and measures to combat them. Rosselkhozizdat, 1971.
• Limar V. A. Melon growing in Ukraine. - Nikolaev: Nikolaev State Agrarian University. - 110 s.

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• Bakhtiyars
• Bakhchisarai (Bashkortostan)

See what "Gourds" are in other dictionaries:

GOLONS- a group of cultivated plants of the gourd family (watermelon, melon, some types of pumpkin). Food, fodder, oilseeds, medicinal, ornamental and honey plants. On all continents… Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

gourds- a group of cultivated plants of the gourd family (watermelon, melon, pumpkin). Creeping or clinging plants. They come from tropical and subtropical countries of Asia, Africa and America. Thermophilic, fairly drought-resistant, will continue, ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

gourds- a group of cultivated plants of the gourd family (watermelon, melon, some types of pumpkin). Food, fodder, oilseeds, medicinal, ornamental and honey plants. On all continents. * * * GOLUN CROPS GOLUN CROPS, group ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

GOLONS- a group of cultivated early fam. pumpkin (watermelon, melon, some types of pumpkin). Food, fodder, oilseeds, medicines, decor. and honey plants. Grows on all continents... Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary

GOLONS- a group of cultural early family. pumpkin, cultivated for food, fodder and technical. goals. B. to. include watermelon, melon, pumpkin. They come from the tropics. and subtropical. countries of Asia, Africa and America; cultivated on all continents, in the USSR sowing. ... ... Agricultural Encyclopedic Dictionary

GOLONS- plants grown on melons (watermelons, melons, pumpkins) ... Glossary of botanical terms

gourds- A group of plants of the family. pumpkin (watermelon, melon, pumpkin, etc.) Planting gourds. Sow the plot with gourds ... Dictionary of many expressions

fodder melons- Agricultural crops of the Cucurbitaceal family used for animal feed. [GOST 23153 78] Animal feed topics Generalizing terms field fodder production ... Technical Translator's Handbook

VEGETABLES, MELONS, ROOT CROPS AND TUMBERS- 8 VEGETABLES, MELONS, ROOTS AND TUMBERS eng. VEGETABLES, MELONS, ROOT AND TUBER CROPS germ. GEMUSE, MELONEN, WURZEL UND KNOLLENKULTUREN French LEGUMES, MELONS, CULTURES À RACINES ET À TUBERCULES … Phytopathological dictionary-reference book

melons- pl. Gourd cultures. Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

Books

• Melon crops We plant, we grow, we harvest, we treat softly Advice from Mikhalych Zvonarev N TsP, Zvonarev N. middle lane, has excellent culinary properties, % healing power and finds ... Buy for 79 rubles
• Gourd cultures. Planting, growing, harvesting, healing, N. M. Zvonarev. Pumpkins, krukneki, lagenaria, squash, zucchini, luffa - all this splendor bears fruit perfectly in the middle lane, has excellent culinary properties, healing power and finds ...