Morphological characterization of some Besni pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes in Kayseri conditions

Abstract

The pepper genetic resources, which is a widely produced and consumed vegetable in Turkey and the world, are faced with some threats arising from the environmental conditions and agricultural activities. Therefore, it is very important to protect pepper genetic resources and include them in breeding programs. During the production adventure of pepper in Turkey, pepper genotypes known by the name of the regions were developed in different regions such as Demre, Uşak, Karaisalı, and Arapkir pepper. One of them, Besni Pepper, is grown in and around Besni district of Adıyaman province and makes significant contributions to the regional economy. In this study, 26 pepper genotypes collected from the villages of Besni and Gölbaşı districts, and three control varieties were characterized according to 42 morphological traits. Pepper genotypes showed significant variation in terms of the characteristics considered. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to the investigated traits. The PCA analysis yielded 10 principal components explaining 86% of the total variation. The eigen values of 10 PC’s varied from 10,50 to 1,10. The first three PC’s explain 51,20% of the total variance. The variation between genotypes is mostly due to fruit characteristics such as fruit shape, fruit size, and blossom end shape. While the genotypes were divided into 4 groups in the cluster analysis, the pepper varieties used as control were separated from all genotypes and formed a separate group.