Unraveling the growth and volatile compound profiles of celery under different supplementary light durations via comprehensive evaluation and GC-IMS.

The volatile substances fingerprinting of celery under three different light conditions was established using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). Supplementary light intensity was set at 200 µmol m-2 s-1 with light durations of 6 h d-1 (T1) and 10 h d-1 (T2), and celery grown under natural light only was used as the control. The results indicated that the highest values of fresh and dry weights were recorded under the T2 treatment. A total of 59 volatile compounds of celery were detected, including olefins, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and furans. In addition, flavor differences in celery at different supplementary light duration were revealed, with beta-bourbonene, beta-ocimene-D, alpha-pinene-D, (E)-2-hexen-1-al-D, limonene-D, and beta-myrcene-M as the main contributors to observed differences in VOC profiles. In summary, a longer supplementary light duration resulted in optimal color characteristics, and enhanced flavor profiles, which was a suitable supplementary light strategy for celery cultivation in greenhouses during weak light conditions.