The detection of the soil, environmental conditions, and agrotechnical practices’ effects on the yield and quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) in Southeast Kazakhstan was the chief focus of this research. The results recognized that sandy loam sierozem soils of the foothill-steppe zone of Southeastern Kazakhstan have proven to be the most favorable soil for better growth and development of melons. In the soils with heavy mechanical composition, the quantitative and qualitative indicators of Central Asian cultivars incurred sharp effects and declined compared with melon genotypes grown on soils with light mechanical composition. Melon cultivars of the European subspecies exhibited the highest plasticity in relation to soil and environmental conditions. During the first 10 and 20 days of May, it emerged as the most optimal sowing period. For early- and mid-season melon cultivars, the most optimal plant density was 10,200 plants/ha, while mid-late and late-ripening cultivars were the best, with a plant density of 8,100 plants/ha. For the early- and mid-season melon cultivars, the best sowing pattern was 280 cm × 70 cm × 70 cm, while the mid-late and late cultivars grew best with the pattern of 350 cm × 70 cm × 70 cm.
Melon (C. melo L.), cultivars, soil and environmental conditions, agrotechniques, productivity, biochemical composition
Melon (C. melo L.) cultivars of the European subspecies exhibited the highest plasticity in relation to soil and environmental conditions. The first 10 and 20 days of May were notably the most optimal sowing periods for melon. Specific conclusions resulted about the influence of a particular ecological zone on the growth and development of melon.