At the Scientific Center of Vegetable, Melon and Industrial Crops (MoE RA) for 3 years (2020-2022), the use of Aquasource hydrogel (Ecotechnology LLC) in the cultivation of melon Cucumis melo L was investigated. Hydrogel in the ratio: Soil mix +Aaquasource (3:0.1), Soil mix+Aquasource (3:0.15), Soil mix +Aquasource (3:0.2) compared with the control (Soil mix without Aquasource) had a positive effect on the early appearance of female flowers, reducing the terms of technical ripening and fruit quality. The indicator of marketable yield of melon also exceeded the control (230.9±2.73 c/ha) and amounted to 287.5±2.94, 308.0±2.27 and 307.0±3.05 c/ha, respectively. A similar pattern was observed with seed yield: 360.7±2.87, 399.6±10.01, 392.1±9.20kg/ha, respectively, with control 287.2±8.05 kg/ha. An assessment of the economic efficiency of using Aquasource showed that by reducing the cost of water supply, labor force and provision of higher yield, the percentage of economic efficiency was 120.4-128.6%, and profitability - 67.6-69.0% (with control of 61.9%).

Growing in different ecological conditions, pumpkin varieties acquire new economic characteristics, which indicates agroecological differentiation of pumpkin. Under growing conditions in the Ararat Plain, we studied 8 portion varieties of pumpkin, which differed in the timing of the onset of phenophases, the timing of the receipt of products and yield indicators, and quality indicators of fruits. According to the growing season, the varieties were divided into early-ripening varieties - Syunik, Saporik and Veronez, mid-ripening - Volzhskaya gray 92, Children’s delicacy, Konfetka, Prikubanskaya and late-ripening - Gribovskaya winter. The yield data of variety samples were analyzed: the most productive were the Muscat varieties Saporik and Prikubanskaya with high taste qualities of fruits - 23.2±1.1 and 30.6±1.1 t/ha. Among the large-fruited pumpkins, varieties Detskaya delikatesnaya and Syunik stood out, which were distinguished by high palatability and yield - 25.3±1.0 and 23.0±1.4 t/ha, respectively. The varieties Saporik, Syunik, Detskaya delikatesnaya and Konfetka stood out for the high content of total carotenoids, in which this indicator was 16.05, 10.50, 15.22 and 18.25 mg/%, respectively.