INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR ZUCCHINI CULTIVATION IN UZBEKISTAN: CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE USE

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) suits Uzbekistan's shift from cotton and wheat toward horticulture: it reaches first harvest in 45-60 days and fits the field left empty after winter wheat. That position is exposed to a warming climate and a tightening water balance. This review assesses which cultivation technologies address those constraints. Drip irrigation with mulch and threshold-based scheduling offers the largest documented gain, with sensor-controlled scheduling alone saving 33-80 % of applied water while raising yield. Unheated low tunnels secure an early-season price premium, and shade structures cut crop evapotranspiration by about 38 % in midsummer. Grafting onto interspecific Cucurbita rootstocks is the most promising untested option for saline lowlands, whereas regulated deficit irrigation suits fresh-market cucurbits poorly. The binding constraints prove economic rather than technical: per-hectare water charges remove any private incentive to save water.

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