Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Physiological Response and Yield of Cucumis melo var. inodorus Under Different Salinity Levels in a Controlled Environment

Silva, Dayane Mércia Ribeiro; Silva, Francisca Zildélia da; Marques, Isabelly Cristina da Silva; Aires, Eduardo Santana; Júnior, Francisco Gilvan Borges Ferreira Freitas; Vargens, Fernanda Nery; Santos, Vinicius Alexandre Ávila dos; Rodrigues, João Domingos; Ono, Elizabeth Orika

doi:10.3390/horticulturae11070861

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Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Physiological Response and Yield of Cucumis melo var. inodorus Under Different Salinity Levels in a Controlled Environment

by

Dayane Mércia Ribeiro Silva

^1,*

,

Francisca Zildélia da Silva

²,

Isabelly Cristina da Silva Marques

²

,

Eduardo Santana Aires

²

,

Francisco Gilvan Borges Ferreira Freitas Júnior

²,

Fernanda Nery Vargens

²,

Vinicius Alexandre Ávila dos Santos

²,

João Domingos Rodrigues

^3,*

and

Elizabeth Orika Ono

³

¹

Department of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), Arapiraca 57309-005, AL, Brazil

²

Department of Plant Production, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil

³

Institute of Biosciences and Botany, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, SP, Brazil

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Horticulturae 2025, 11(7), 861; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11070861

Submission received: 3 July 2025 / Revised: 16 July 2025 / Accepted: 18 July 2025 / Published: 21 July 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Protected Culture)

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological, biochemical, and productive effects of the foliar application of bioregulators, based on auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellic acid, on yellow melon, cultivar DALI^®, plants subjected to different salinity levels in a protected environment to simulate Brazil’s semi-arid conditions. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized block design, in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme, with four salinity levels (0, 2, 4, and 6 dS m⁻¹) and three doses of the bioregulator, Stimulate^® (0%, 100%, and 150% of the recommended dose), with six weekly applications. The physiological variables (chlorophyll a fluorescence and gas exchange) and biochemical parameters (antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation) were evaluated at 28 and 42 days after transplanting, and the agronomic traits (fresh fruit mass, physical attributes, and post-harvest quality) were evaluated at the end of the experiment. The results indicated that salinity impaired the physiological and productive performance of the plants, especially at higher levels (4 and 6 dS m⁻¹), causing oxidative stress, reduced photosynthesis, and decreased yield. However, the application of the bioregulator at the 100% dose mitigated the effects of salt stress under moderate salinity (2 dS m⁻¹), promoting higher CO₂ assimilation rates of up to 31.5%, better water-use efficiency, and reduced lipid peroxidation. In addition, the fruits showed a greater mass of up to 66%, thicker pulp, and higher soluble solids (> 10 °Brix) content, making them suitable for sale in the market. The 150% dose did not provide additional benefits and, in some cases, resulted in inhibitory effects. It is concluded that the application of Stimulate^® at the recommended dose is effective in mitigating the effects of moderate salinity, up to ~3 dS m⁻¹, in yellow melon crops; however, its effectiveness is limited under high salinity conditions, requiring the use of complementary strategies.

Keywords: melon; bioregulators; gas exchange; oxidative stress; salinity stress

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MDPI and ACS Style

Silva, D.M.R.; Silva, F.Z.d.; Marques, I.C.d.S.; Aires, E.S.; Júnior, F.G.B.F.F.; Vargens, F.N.; Santos, V.A.Á.d.; Rodrigues, J.D.; Ono, E.O. Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Physiological Response and Yield of Cucumis melo var. inodorus Under Different Salinity Levels in a Controlled Environment. Horticulturae 2025, 11, 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11070861

AMA Style

Silva DMR, Silva FZd, Marques ICdS, Aires ES, Júnior FGBFF, Vargens FN, Santos VAÁd, Rodrigues JD, Ono EO. Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Physiological Response and Yield of Cucumis melo var. inodorus Under Different Salinity Levels in a Controlled Environment. Horticulturae. 2025; 11(7):861. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11070861

Chicago/Turabian Style

Silva, Dayane Mércia Ribeiro, Francisca Zildélia da Silva, Isabelly Cristina da Silva Marques, Eduardo Santana Aires, Francisco Gilvan Borges Ferreira Freitas Júnior, Fernanda Nery Vargens, Vinicius Alexandre Ávila dos Santos, João Domingos Rodrigues, and Elizabeth Orika Ono. 2025. "Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Physiological Response and Yield of Cucumis melo var. inodorus Under Different Salinity Levels in a Controlled Environment" Horticulturae 11, no. 7: 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11070861

APA Style

Silva, D. M. R., Silva, F. Z. d., Marques, I. C. d. S., Aires, E. S., Júnior, F. G. B. F. F., Vargens, F. N., Santos, V. A. Á. d., Rodrigues, J. D., & Ono, E. O. (2025). Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Physiological Response and Yield of Cucumis melo var. inodorus Under Different Salinity Levels in a Controlled Environment. Horticulturae, 11(7), 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11070861

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Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Physiological Response and Yield of Cucumis melo var. inodorus Under Different Salinity Levels in a Controlled Environment

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