INHERITANCE OF SOME IMPORTANT TRAITS IN SWEET PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

The present study was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, El Arish, Suez Canal University, Egypt, during three successive summer seasons from 2011 to 2013. The study involved six generations; viz., P1, P2, F1, F2, Bc1 and Bc2 of sweet pepper hybrid (B10-24 x TS 6-3-3). The objective of the present investigation was to study the inheritance of some important traits of sweet pepper. The obtained results showed that difference between the two parents was highly significant for all studied traits. The means of F1 cross was deviated toward the high parent for most characters, while it was similar to that of high parent for average fruit weight. Segregating populations showed greater coefficient of variability (C.V%) than the non-segregating ones for all studied traits. Additive gene effects (d) were significant in the inheritance of all characters, except fruit length, fruit diameter and pericarp thickness. However, dominance gene action (h) was more importance in the inheritance of all studied traits, except number of fruits/plant. Epistasis gene actions were found to be important in the inheritance of most traits. Heterosis over mid-parents was detected in eight characters. However, heterosis over better parent was found, but only in three traits. Inbreeding depression was observed in six characters. Heritability estimates in broad sense (hb) were high for all characters. The minimum number of genes controlling the traits were one pair for plant height, fruit diameter, pericarp thickness, T.S.S, ascorbic acid and total yield/plant, while number of genes were estimated as two to three pairs for number of branches, two to four for fruit length, three to seven for number of fruits/plant and two pairs for average fruit weight.