BACKGROUND: Preharvest light management is increasingly used to enhance yield and fruit quality in soilless systems, yet its effects on unripe melon fruits remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the impact of supplemental red–blue light-emitting diode (LED) lighting applied during cultivation in a closed-cycle hydroponic system on productivity, mineral composition and postharvest behaviour (4 °C for up to 17 days) of the Apulian melon landrace ‘Scopatizzo’ (Cucumis melo L.), consumed as an unripe fruit alternative to cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). RESULTS: Principal component analysis highlighted a clear separation between cucumber and ‘Scopatizzo’ samples. In ‘Scopatizzo’, LED supplementation increased fruit number per plant by approximately 29% (14 versus 11 fruits per plant) without affecting fruit mineral composition at harvest. During cold storage, LED-grown fruits maintained approximately 18% higher firmness at the end of storage than control fruits. Variations in moisture content, pH and titratable acidity were mainly driven by storage time and were unaffected by the light regime. LED-grown fruits showed up to 12% higher chlorophyll and 28% higher glucose concentrations at harvest than controls, whereas total phenolics and carotenoids increased during storage in both treatments (+80% and +22%, respectively), indicating a predominant effect of cold-induced metabolic responses during postharvest. CONCLUSION: Preharvest LED lighting enhanced productivity and improved specific postharvest quality traits of ‘Scopatizzo’ without altering its mineral profile, supporting the integration of light management and soilless cultivation to valorise melon landraces and extend their marketability as fresh, whole-edible products.

Articolo completo open access: https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.70792