CO2-temperature-water nexus reshaping cherry tomato flavor: Multimodal sensing with E-nose and GC-IMS.

In this controlled greenhouse study, a multifactorial design (temperature, CO₂, irrigation) was combined with E-nose, GC-IMS, and multi-model evaluation to investigate the flavor and aroma responses of cherry tomatoes. Deficit irrigation (50% Eₚ) significantly increased total soluble solids and acidity (P < 0.001), with maximum increases of 30.0% and 128.7%, respectively. Warming shifted volatile profiles from esters and alcohols toward aldehydes, while deficit irrigation enhanced key aroma compounds. Using a game theory-based combination weighting approach, the TOPSIS, MFA, and GRA models were integrated to construct multi-indicator composite indices: Comprehensive Flavor Value (CFV) and Comprehensive Aroma Value (CAV), enabling robust, multi-faceted integration of data. Across all scenarios, the 50% Eₚ irrigation treatment achieved the highest CFV and CAV scores. In conclusion, deficit irrigation represents a promising flavor-oriented cultivation strategy, although further validation through sensory evaluation is required, the multi-model comprehensive evaluation approach provides a feasible quantitative tool for agricultural decision-making.