Diurnal temperature range is a key factor to determine the quality difference between overwinter growing and spring...

Environmental factors critically regulate the quality formation of agricultural products. In this study, two tomato cultivars, Aisla Craig and Moneymaker, were cultivated under two growth regimes: normal spring sowing (spring growing) and autumn sowing overwinter growth (overwinter growing). Multi-omics analysis reveals consistent fruit quality variations across two cultivars. Compared to normal spring growing fruit, overwinter growing tomatoes accumulated higher carotenoid levels but exhibited decreased flavonoid contents. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that altered expression of primary metabolism-related genes drove carbon flux redistribution. Diurnal temperature range (DTR) was hypothesized as the core environmental factor governing fruit quality variation. Controlled experiments with gradient DTR treatments during fruiting stage in plant growth incubators reproduced consistent metabolic and transcriptional alterations in MicroTom tomato fruits. This study demonstrates that DTR acts as a key environmental factor modulating multigene regulatory networks and metabolic flux allocation, thereby remodeling tomato fruit qualities. These findings offer theoretical references and practical strategies for targeted quality improvement of tomatoes under fluctuating environments, facilitating adaptive cultivation across diverse geographical regions.