A method for altering the level of one or more carotenoids in a plant or a tissue within the plant is provided. Method comprises introducing a nucleic acid sequence comprising a regulatory region operatively associated with a silencing nucleotide sequence that reduces or eliminates the expression of a lycopene epsilon cyclase into the plant, and expressing the silencing nucleotide sequence. Expression of the sequence reduces the level of the lycopene epsilon cyclase in the plant or within a tissue of the plant, and results in altering one or more carotenoids.