| Summary: | The auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (<i>Aux</i>/<i>IAA</i>) gene family plays a critical role in auxin-mediated responses and fruit development. However, studies on its role in watermelon are limited. In this study, 29 <i>ClIAA</i> gene members were identified in the watermelon genome and classified into eleven groups. Of note, <i>ClIAA16</i>, which was found to be up-regulated during fruit ripening, was targeted using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Knockout mutants of <i>ClIAA16</i> exhibited a 3–4 day delay in ripening compared to the wild type, highlighting the regulatory importance of ClIAA16. Our findings shed light on the importance of <i>ClIAA</i> genes in watermelon fruit ripening and pave the way for further functional studies.
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