Abstract
Purpose and objectives. To study the effect thickening plantations of watermelon seed plants on seed yield and quality, using different thickening designs in the Northern Steppe of Ukraine.
 Materials and methods. The main crop was watermelon. Sweet corn and green bean were used as thickeners. The thikeners were placed in watermelon interrows or in rows with the following layouts: 1.4 m x 1.0 m and 2.8 m x 1.0 m (sweet corn) and 1.4 m x 0.5 m, 2.8 m x 0.5 m (green beans).
 Results and discussion. The highest output of seeds per fruit (21.3 g) was recorded when sweet corn was sown between watermelon rows with a layout of 2.8 m x 1.0 m (18.4 g in the control). Growing sweet corn in watermelon interrows increased the 1000-seed weight from 52.6 g (control) to 55.5 g. The highest yield of watermelon seeds (187 kg/ha) was obtained in plantations where sweet corn was grown watermelon interrows with a layout of 2.8 m x 1.0 m (+ 21 kg/ha or 12.7% to the control). The use of green bean as a thickener for watermelon was less effective. The yield increased by 7-15 kg/ha (4.2–9.0%) compared to the control. In addition, 0.8-1.8 t/ha of milky-wax cobs of sweet corn and 47–98 kg/ha of green beans were harvested.
 Conclusions. The use of thickeners grown between rows of the main crop is the most effective technological technique in the Northern Steppe of Ukraine to increase the yield and improve the quality of watermelon seeds. Our experiments demonstrated that sweet corn was the best thickener, interrow was the best placement, and 2.8 m x 1.0 m was the best layout. This method in watermelon seed production allows increasing the seed yield by 12.7% related to the control (no thickeners) and raising the economic efficiency of seed production due to a gain in the net profit of 14,800 UAH/ha (26.4%) and profitability by 37.9% while maintaining high sowing indicators of seeds
Highlights
The effective seed production is a basis for the introduction of released domestic gourd varieties and hybrids in production
We evaluated the effect of thickening of watermelon seed plants with sweet corn at the milky-wax stage of ripeness and with green bean grown for grain
It was found that the height thickening plants depended on their placement in the crop and was 113–116 cm in sweet corn grown in watermelon rows, 121–126 cm in sweet corn grown in interrows, with the cob number of 1.2–1.3 and 1.4–1.5 per plant, respectively, 31–33 cm in green bean grown in watermelon rows, and 35–38 cm in green bean grown in interrows, with the pod number of 4.8–5.5 per plant, respectively
Summary
The effective seed production is a basis for the introduction of released domestic gourd varieties and hybrids in production. In the Northern Steppe of Ukraine, the June–August period has been hot (the air temperature is 32–38°C, and on the soil surface temperature amounts to 40–45°C) and dry. It is during this period gourds bloom and form fruits. Under such conditions, some flowers remain unfertilized, and later, when fruits grow and ripen, there are significant sun scalds on fruits (≥25– 30%), leading to a decrease in watermelon yield and seed productivity. It is necessary to develop and implement farming techniques for growing watermelon seed plants, which will reduce the negative effects of adverse abiotic factors and increase the yield and quality of watermelon seeds
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