Intervarietal heterosis in Capsicum annuum L. and evaluation of a set of clustered bell peppers

Abstract

The present studies ‘Intervarietal heterosis in Capsicum annuum L. and evaluation of a set of clustered bell peppers’ were conducted at the College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara during July 1985 - December 1986. The materials for the study comprised of five bell pepper varieties, two hot chillies and their 10F1 hybrids. Evaluation of these materials revealed considerable variation for most of the economic characters. Phenotypic coefficient of variation was maximum for fruits/plant. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was also observed for frults/plant. The F1 hybrids Involving bell peppers and hot chillies were found suitable for warm humid tropical conditions of Kerala. All the F1 hybrids yielded more than the better parent. The F1hybrids showed desirable heterosis for plant height, primary branches/plant, tap root length, primary roots/plant, days to flower, days to green fruit harvest, days to fruit ripening, fruit length, fruit perimeter and green fruit yield/plant. The F1 hybrid Hungarian Wax x KAU Cluster was the most promising yielding 482.8 g/plant (fruits/plant - 92) followed by Sweet Red Cherry Pickling x KAU Cluster and Hungarian Wax x Pant C-l. Combining ability analysis revealed the preponderance of additive gene action for primary branches/plant, days to flower, fruits/plant and green fruit yield/plant. A preponderance of non-additive gene action was observed for plant height, tap root length, primary roots/plant and days to green fruit harvest, days to fruit ripening and fruit perimeter. Preponderance of additive and non-additive gene action was observed for fruit length. The parental lines were grouped into three and four clusters during first and second seasons respectively, based on Mahalanobis D2 statistics. The line KaU Cluster was found resistant to bacterial wilt. Primary roots/plant was positively correlated with yield. In segregating generations of Hungarian Wax x KaU Cluster and Sweet Red Cherry Pickling x KAU Cluster considerable variation was observed for all the characters studied. Elite clustered bell pepper lines were Identified and progressed.