Lycopene, beta-carotene and productivity of tomato varieties at different shade levels under medium land of Indonesia

Lycopene and beta-carotene content of two antioxidants in tomatoes and productivity are strongly influenced by the intensity of solar radiation received by plants. The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of shading on production, lycopene content and beta-carotene content of tomato varieties at medium land of Indonesia. The study was conducted in the area with an altitude of 515 meters above sea level, in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. Treatments tested in this study were arranged in a split plot design. The main plot was percentage of shading (0, 25 and 50 %). The subplot was tomato varieties (Juliet, Golden Sweet, Golden Shine and Betavila). The results showed that shading or lowering the level of solar radiation received by plants could improve the maximum air humidity but it did not change the minimum humidity. Minimum air temperature dropped by 1°C in the shade treatments of 25 and 50 % compared with no shade, while the maximum air temperature dropped by 4 °C in the shade of 25 % and by 5 °C under 50 % shade. Changes in the microclimate around the plants, especially the temperature and air humidity did not only increase the growth and productivity of plants, but also increased the chlorophyll content of leaves and lycopene of tomatoes. All varieties showed that the highest production was obtained when plants were shaded by 25 % compared with no shade or 50 % shade. In addition, lycopene in tomato varieties was also influenced by the microclimate around the plant, and the beta-carotene content was influenced by varieties of tomatoes and shaded level but not due to interaction. Key word: Lycopene, beta-carotene, productivity, tomato, shade, medium land