Genetic Variation, Association of Characters, and Their Direct and Indirect Contributions for Improvement in Chilli Peppers

Abstract

The potential for improvement in crops is proportional to the magnitude of genetic variability present in the germplasm. Thirty genotypes of chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were evaluated during the summer rainy seasons of 2005 and 2006 to study the extent of genetic variability, determine the association between different characters, understand direct and indirect effects of component traits on fresh and dry yield, and identify desirable genotypes. The project was undertaken at the experimental farm of the Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, CSK HPKV, Palampur, India. Sufficient variability was observed for all horticultural and quality traits studied; that is, days to 50% flowering, days to first harvest, primary structural branches per plant, secondary branches per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, average fruit weight, number of seeds per fruit, 100-seed weight, pericarp:seed ratio, number of marketable fruits per plant, number of total fruits per plant, plant height, marketable yield per plant, total soluble solids, and oleoresin, capsanthin, and capsaicin content. On the basis of mean performance, the genotype Palam Yellow was found to be promising for marketable fresh yield; on the basis of dry yield, the genotype Surajmukhi was found to be promising. High phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) were observed for marketable fresh and dry yield per plant, numbers of marketable fruit, average fresh and dry fruit weight, fruit length and diameter, seed weight per fruit, number of primary structural branches per plant, and oleoresin and capsaicin content. Moderate PCV and GCV were recorded for numbers of secondary branches per plant, plant height, harvest duration, number of seeds per fruit, 100-seed weight, pericarp:seed ratio, ascorbic acid, and capsanthin. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was noted for marketable fresh and dry yield per plant, average fruit weight, numbers of marketable fruit, fruit diameter, and oleoresin and capsaicin content, which indicated the role of additive gene action for the inheritance of these traits. These traits are likely to respond better to selection. Correlation and path analysis studies indicated that average fruit weight, numbers of total and marketable fruits per plant, and fruit length contributed to marketable fresh yield. Average dry fruit weight, numbers of total and marketable fruits per plant, seed weight per fruit, and harvest duration played a predominant role for predicting dry yield. Among quality traits, capsanthin was significantly and positively correlated with yield. Ascorbic acid and capsaicin content were positively associated with total soluble solids at green and red stage, respectively.