Estimation of heterosis for earliness, yield and yield attributing traits in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the magnitude of heterosis over mid parent, better parent and standard checks (Tejaswini and Indam-5) for earliness, fruit yield and yield attributing traits in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) and developed 54 F1 hybrids by crossing nine lines with six testers using line x tester mating design. The 71 genotypes (54 F1's hybrids along with their 15 parents and two standard checks) were evaluated in Randomized Block Design during kharif 2014 - 15 at HRS, Lam farm, Guntur. The analysis of variance for L x T revealed significant differences among the parents and crosses for all the 12 characters studied indicating the presence of wide range of variability among them. Among 54 F1 hybrids, twenty seven, seventeen, two and four hybrids exhibited significant positive heterosis for fruit yield per plant over mid parent, better parent, and standard checks - Tejaswini and Indam-5 respectively and the hybrid LCA 607 x LCA 703-2 registered significant standard positive heterosis (20.99 per cent) followed by LCA 655 x LCA 703-2 (15.09 per cent) over best check Tejaswini. Among the 54 hybrids, the hybrid LCA 355 x LCA 703-2 was found to be superior for plant height, LCA 504 x LCA 703-2 for plant spread, LCA 466 x LCA 678 & LCA 466 x LCA 315 for no. of primary branches per plant and LCA 442 X G4 for days to fruit maturity recorded maximum standard heterosis in desirable direction over best check Tejaswini, while the hybrid LCA 655 x G4 recorded maximum positive heterosis for no. of fruits per plant but inferior to best check Tejaswini. The hybrid LCA 446 x LCA 453 for days to 50 % flowering, LCA 355 x LCA 315 for fruit length, LCA 466 x LCA 453 for fruit diameter, LCA 607 x LCA 453 for average dry fruit weight, LCA 615 x G4 for no. of seeds per fruit and LCA 607 x LCA 705-2 for seed weight registered maximum standard heterosis in desirable direction over best check Indam-5. The identified heterotic hybrids could be further evaluated to exploit the heterosis or utilized in future breeding programmes to obtain desirable segregates for development of superior genotypes.