An Effective Melon Fly Control Strategy Based on Disinfection and Soil Productivity Management

Abstract

The research employs both the literature and experimental data in order to develop reasonable strategies for melon fly control. The objects of research were sierozem soils of the Zhanakorgan region (Kyzylorda region), bentonite clays of the Sauran region (Turkestan region), and vermicompost obtained at the production site of the Research Institute “Ecology” at the International Kazakh-Turkish University, named after Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The competitive agent ‘Vermiserbent’ was developed by combining sulphur-perlite-containing waste (SPCW), vermicompost, and natural bentonite clay. When incorporated into the soil, it serves as both an insecticide and a fertiliser recovery agent. The disinfection and enrichment of barren Sierozem soils in southern Kazakhstan could provide an eco-friendly approach to protect cucurbits (melon, watermelon, and pumpkin) against the melon fly. The average yield of watermelon treated with Vermiserbent increased by 2.3 t/ha compared to the control, melon by 4.6 t/ha, and pumpkin by 5.6 t/ha. The marketability of gourds as watermelons and melons after treatment with fertiliser increased by 1.2 times, and pumpkin by 1.1 times. The findings of studies conducted in agricultural fields in the Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions have shown that it is possible to produce environmentally sound gourds using a mixture of vermicompost, bentonite, and SPCW.