To ensure the year-round efficient production of high-quality cherry tomatoes, this study evaluated how four cherry tomato cultivars can enhance yield and quality through optimized nutrient solution and supplementary lighting. Nutrient solutions (N1 and N2) were adjusted, with EC at 1.6 dS/m (N1: nitrogen 10.7 me/L, phosphorus 2.7 me/L, potassium 5.3 me/L) during flowering stage, and 2.4 dS/m (N1: nitrogen 16 me/L, phosphorus 4 me/L, potassium 8 me/L; N2: nitrogen 10.7 me/L, phosphorus 5.4 me/L, potassium 10.8 me/L) from fruit setting to harvest. N1 used standard adjustments, while N2 was optimized by adding solely with KCl and KH₂PO₄. Lighting treatments included L1 (natural light) and L2 (supplemental red/blue light). The application of N2 effectively decreased nitrate levels while it significantly enhanced the content of soluble sugars, flavor, and overall palatability, especially fruit coloring in cherry tomatoes, irrespective of supplementary lighting conditions. However, such optimization also increased sourness or altered the sugar–acid ratio. Supplementary lighting generally promoted the accumulation of soluble sugars, sweetness, and tomato flavor, although its effects varied markedly among different fruit clusters. The combination of optimized nutrient solutions and supplementary lighting exhibited synergistic effects, improving the content of soluble sugars, vitamin C, proteins, and flavor. N1 combined with L2 achieved the highest plant yield. Among the cultivars, ‘Linglong’ showed the greatest overall quality improvement, followed by ‘Baiyu’, ‘Miying’, and ‘Moka’. In conclusion, supplementary lighting can enhance the effect of nitrogen on yield and amplify the influence of phosphorus and potassium on fruit quality improvement in cherry tomatoes. The findings of this study may serve as a theoretical basis for the development of year-round production techniques for high-quality cherry tomatoes.

We investigated the effects of a root-restricted cultivation experiment of netted melons in a greenhouse in south China over two cropping seasons (autumn–winter and spring–summer) with three root-zone volumes (R1: 15 L/plant, R2: 5 L/plant, and R3: 0.75 L/plant) on fruit production and quality. Seasonal temperature and light conditions significantly regulate the balance between yield and quality of netted melons. The high-temperature and strong-light environment in summer promotes vigorous plant growth, fruit expansion and the formation of coarse reticulation, achieving high yield, but it leads to a significant reduction in the content of soluble solids, Vc, soluble protein and antioxidant substances. Under the low-temperature and weak-light conditions in autumn, plants increase the angle between stems and leaves to enhance light interception. Although the fruits are small and the reticulation is fine, they accumulate higher levels of sugar, nutrients and antioxidant substances due to the large diurnal temperature difference. Furthermore, the effect of root restriction cultivation is significantly climate-dependent: severe root restriction (R3) can increase the harvest index in both seasons and improve the fineness of the reticulation in autumn, but it inhibits growth. Therefore, root-zone volume is the key to regulating comprehensive performance, and strategies should be optimized in combination with the climate background: moderate (R2) root restriction in autumn is suitable for improving quality and yield, while severe root restriction (R3) in summer has potential applications in specific quality indicators.