Ecological assessment of Cucurbita moschata varieties according to economically valuable indicators in the conditions of Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Goal. To select highly plastic and stable in productivity and fruit quality varieties of Cucurbita moschata for cultivation in the conditions of Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Field, laboratory, and statistical. The research was carried out during the 2013–2017 period on the test field of the Agronomic Research Station of the Department of Vegetable Production of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine located in the North-Eastern part of the Right Bank Forest-Steppe. They studied varieties of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch. ex Poir.) Dolia (control), Yanina, Ghileya, Dyvo. The trials were carried out according to the methodology [11]. Biochemical studies were performed according to standardized methods: total sugar — according to Bertran; provitamin A (carotene) — according to Murri. They determined general and specific adaptability of the genotype (ZAZ and SAZ), the relative stability of the genotype (Sgi), plasticity (bi) (reaction of the genotype to changing environment), a selection value of genotype (BVi) according to O. Krichevskyi, L. Khotyliova, and Eberhard-Rassel. Results. The assessment is made of ecological plasticity and stability of grades of Cucurbita moschata as to the yield of fruits, the content of provitamin A and total sugars in the conditions of Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Conclusions. According to the results of the research, valuable varieties of Cucurbita moschata Dolia and Dyvo that had high levels of adaptability for total yield fruit at the level of 34.5–37.3 t/ha, total adaptive capacity (ZAZ) — 2.7 and 5.5, a selection value of genotype (BVi) — 18 and 19.6. Besides, varieties of cucurbita moschata Dolia and Dyvo were characterized by a high content in the pulp of fruit total sugars — 7.3 and 6.4%, by total adaptive capacity (ZAZ of variety Dolia — 1.2), by high stability (Sgi of variety Dyvo — 2.7% ), and by selection value of genotype (BVi of variety Dyvo — 5.3). Valuable on the content of provitamin A were varieties Dolia and Dyvo (8.3 and 10.7 mg/100 g) with high rates of the feature for total (ZAZ) — 0.3 and 2.6, and specific (SAZ) — 0,2 and 0,6 adaptive ability, stability (Sgi) — 5.8% and 7.3 and selection value of genotype (BVi) — 7 and 8.4.