EVALUATION OF NEW MELON VARIETIES IN ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF SOUTHERN KAZAKHSTAN

In Kazakhstan melon is the leading vegetable crop with planting area accounting for over 46 thousand ha of them around 40 thousand ha is concentrated in Southern Kazakhstan. In recent years, demand for Kazakh melons grows in Russia and Europe. For conveyor delivery of melon products to the market for producers advisable to have different varieties of melons with varied ripening which would possess along with good taste a high shelf life quality and transportability. During 2012-2014, at the Kazakh Research Institute of Cotton Growing were carried out environmental testing of 8 mid-early maturing and 12 mid maturing melon varieties from domestic and foreign breeding program. As the results have shown, all the varieties of melon were well adapted to the average soil salinity and groundwater table at a level of 1,5-2,0 m. Among the mid-early maturing melons the most high-yielding varieties were cv ‘Muza’, cv ‘Shugyla’ and cv ‘Mayskaya’, ensuring, respectively, 8,4; 8,5 and 10,6 % of additional yield to the yield of test cv ‘Chempionka’ (32,4 t/ha). Of the tested 12 mid maturing m elon varieties by high yields were distinguished cv ‘Zhuldyz’, cv ‘Karakai’, cv ‘Zhienshar’, cv ‘Torpedo’ (Djian) and cv ‘Yuzhanka 12’ shown, respectively, 22,6; 32,8; 35,5; 42,8 and 59,3 % increase to the yield of test cv ‘Gulabi Oranjevaya (36,0 t/ha).