• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2023

This study was conducted to apply with an air duct for the cooling and a utilizing cultivating method that uses the fruiting node and the defoliation to the high-temperature vertical and hydroponic cultivation of the oriental melon. The lower fruiting node (LF) was to remove all third vines generated from 5 nodes of a secondary vine. The higher fruiting node (HF) was fruiting on the third vine generated from a first node of the third vine. The direction of the stem string; upward (UW), downward (DW). Four treatment conditions were applied with the LF-UW, LF-DW, HF-UW (control), and HF-DW. The leaf age of melon leaves was measured for photosynthesis at 3 days intervals, and the fruit characteristic was conducted on 79 fruits in each treatment. The photosynthesis rate steadily increased after leaf development, reaching 20.8 μmol CO₂·m^-2·s^-1 on the 10 days, gradually increasing to 21.3 μmol CO₂·m^-2·s^-1 on the 19 days, and reaching 23.4 μmol CO₂·m^-2·s^-1 on the 32 days. After that, it lowered to 16.8 μmol CO₂·m^-2·s^-1 on the 38 days and dropped significantly to 7.6 μmol CO₂·m^-2·s^-1 on the 47 days. As a result of the fruit characteristics by fruiting nodes, the treatments of the fruit length was 12.6-13.4 cm, respectively, which was significant, and the fruit width was 7.9- 8.6 cm, respectively, was not significant. The soluble content ranged from 12.9 to 15.7°Brix, and the significance of all treatments, and higher than of LF-DW and HF-UW. The photosynthesis rate of melon leaves was good until 32 days after leaf development, but after that, the rate decreased. As for fruit quality, it was conformed that melons can be cultivated at the LF because the fruit enlargement and soluble content dose not decrease even when set at the LF. Results indicated that those can be used for LF and defoliation in the development of vertical and hydroponic cultivation method in high-temperature season.