GENETICS OF HORTICULTURAL AND YIELD CHARACTERISTICS IN BELL PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L.)
Loading...
Date
2024-04-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UHF Nauni
Abstract
The present study entitled “Genetics of Horticultural and Yield Characteristics in Bell Pepper
(Capsicum annuum L.)” was carried out during the Kharif, 2021, 2022 and 2023 at the Experimental
Farm Horticultural Research and Training Station & Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kandaghat (Jadari) and
Department of Vegetable Science, Dr YSPUH&F, Nauni, Solan (HP). Two separate experiments were
conducted during the course of investigations. In the first experiment, twenty-five diverse genotypes of bell
pepper were evaluated to assess information on the extent of variability, correlation and path coefficient
analysis. In the second experiment, eight horticulturally superior parents were selected for making crosses
in half diallel mating fashion and the resultant twenty-eight F1 hybrids were obtained. The parents and
hybrid combinations were evaluated in a field trial conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design
(RCBD) with three replications during Kharif, 2023. The observations were recorded on days to first
picking, number of branches per plant, plant height, harvest duration, fruit length, fruit breadth, fruit
colour, number of lobes per fruit, average fruit weight, pericarp thickness, number of fruits per plant, fruit
yield per plant, number of seeds per fruit, thousand seed weight, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content,
Phytophthora fruit rot incidence and Phytophthora leaf blight severity.The results revealed that all the
genotypes possessed wide spectrum of variability and showed significant differences for parents and
hybrids for the traits under study. For yield and component traits, the parental lines, California Wonder,
Kyartoo Selection-I and Kadhar Selection had exhibited good gca effect. The genotypes with high gca can
be used in multiple crosses and their segregating population can be used to develop superior recombinants.
Among the cross combinations, the top three high yielding combinations with significant positive sca
effects for fruit yield were California Wonder × Tikker Selection, Kadhar Selection × Kyartoo Selection-I
and California Wonder × Deothi Selection. Estimates of genetic variance revealed the preponderance of
non-additive gene action for all the characters which clearly suggests utilization of heterosis breeding for
the improvement of these traits. On the basis of overall mean performance and heterosis over standard
check the cross combinations viz., Kadhar Selection × Kyartoo Selection-I, California Wonder × Kyartoo
Selection-I and California Wonder × Deothi Selection performed well for majority of yield and yield
contributing traits and these hybrids can be recommended for future consideration