Lycopene Content of Different Tomato Germplasms Grown under Irrigated and Water-stress Conditions

Lycopene content in raw tomato fruits of nine varieties is reported in plants grown under normal irrigation and water stress conditions. Lycopene was estimated on a fresh weight basis (FWB) by high-performance liquid chromatography. Under control conditions, the highest content was recorded in Pusa Rohini and Arka Vikas followed by EC179083, while the tomato germplasm with accession no. EC160885 ranked the lowest. Under stressed conditions, the lycopene content in all the germplasms increased. Maximum increase of 87.68 per cent was observed in EC179083 followed by Arka Vikas (65.43%). Pusa Rohini and Pusa Gaurav showed the lowest increase of 12–14 per cent. The results highlight the impact of water-stress on fruit nutrition quality and will help in selecting a variety/germplasm with high lycopene content under drought conditions.