MSc

The present study entitled “Development of F1 hybrids in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) for commercial cultivation” was conducted at College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2014-15 with major objective to develop superior dual purpose chilli F1 hybrids with medium pungency, deep red colour, high dry matter and vitamin C content.
The experimental material consisted of six parents viz., CA 3 (P1), CA 5 (P2), CA 6 (P3), CA 8 (P4), CA 23 (P5) and CA 32 (P6) and 15 F1s produced in diallel mating design excluding reciprocals. The hybrid Arka Harita was used as check for the estimation of standard heterosis. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 22 treatments and three replications. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the treatments for all the traits except primary branches per plant, days to first flowering and days to first harvest for parents.
Based on standard heterosis the hybrids P5 x P6 (57.59%), P3 x P5 (49.67%), P4 x P6 (38.21%), P3 x P6 (37.22%), P4 x P5 (32.23%), P2 x P5 (29.76%) and P2 x P6 (23.92%) were found to be most promising for green fruit yield and other desirable traits. For dry fruit yield and other desirable traits the hybrids P3 x P5 (22.52%), P4 x P6 (22.36%), P2 x P5 (18.04%), P5 x P6 (16.93%), P2 x P6 (13.85%), P4 x P5 (13.07%) and P3 x P4 (12.52%) were found to be most superior.
The incidence of thrips, mites, bacterial wilt and fruit rot were less in the parents and hybrid combinations.
The general and specific combining ability variances were significant for all the traits. The σ2gca and σ2sca ratio indicated that non-additive gene action was predominant for all the traits except fruit girth, fruit weight and flesh thickness.
The estimates of general combining ability effects suggested that parent P6 was a good general combiner for both green as well as dry fruit yield per plant and quality characters. P4 was good general combiner for days to first flowering, days to first harvest, fruits per plant, and dry fruit yield per plant. P1 was a good general combiner for fruit length and capsaicin whereas P2 and P3 were showed good general combining ability for quality characters.
The estimates of specific combining ability effects indicated that cross combinations viz., P3 x P5, P5 x P6, P2 x P5, P4 x P5, P1 x P2, P4 x P6, P3 x P4 and P2 x P6 were the most promising for green fruit yield, dry fruit yield and fruits per plant.
Based on mean performance, standard heterosis and sca effects CA 8 x CA 32 (P4 x P6), CA 5 x CA 32 (P2 x P6) and CA 6 x CA 8 (P3 x P4) were adjudged as superior dual purpose hybrids with good quality traits.