<![CDATA[National melon production remains suboptimal due to the crop’s sensitivity to the environment and lack of management practices. This study analyzed the interaction between GA₃ concentration (0, 50, 100, 150 ppm) and application timing (pre-anthesis, anthesis, post-anthesis) on growth, yield, and fruit quality of Fujisawa melon in an NFT hydroponic system. Significant concentration × timing interactions (p<0.05) optimized fruit traits at 100 ppm + anthesis: weight increased by 0.49 kg (24.1%) to 2.03 kg, flesh thickness by 1.33 cm (25.7%) to 5.17 cm, diameter by 1.79 cm (10.9%) to 16.38 cm, and volume by 413 cm³ (21.2%) to 1,950 cm³ vs. control. Regardless of timing, 100 ppm GA₃ accelerated flowering (2.71 days) and harvest (3.87 days) vs. control and increased total soluble solids by 2.33 to 16.33ºBrix. Pre-anthesis application enhanced plant length by 8.57–9.41 cm and hastened flowering by 0.87–0.99 days compared to other timings. Leaf number and fruit cavity were unaffected by either treatment (p>0.05). The regression for fruit traits at anthesis (R²=0.74–0.85) confirmed optimum concentrations of 67.50–138.50 ppm; ≥150 ppm diminished benefits. These findings provide recommendations: 100 ppm GA₃ at anthesis maximizes yield components, 75 ppm at flexible times increases sweetness levels.]]>
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