STUDIES ON THE VARIABILITY OF THE PRODUCTIVITY COMPONENTS IN A COLLECTION OF HOT PEPPER LANDRACES (CAPSICUM ANUUM VAR. MICROCARPUM)

Abstract

The aim of the research was to evaluate the variability value of the main characters that contribute to the achievement of plant production to a collection of hot pepper genotypes. The biological material was composed of 17 landraces of hot peppers collected from western Romania. The study was conducted for two years, with biometric measurements on the morphological characteristics of fruit production on the plant. Intra-population variability was assessed (mean, standard deviation of mean and coefficient of variability) and differences between populations for these characters. The results show that the variability within the collection is high. Within populations, fruit sizes (length, diameter) are uniform, but the number of fruits and their weight per plant show greater variability. Within the collection, variations in morphological characteristics are large, especially for fruit length, fruit weight, number and weight of fruit per plant. Among the landraces studied, some may be recommended for breeding programs, as parents or as material for the application of selection: for long fruits (Juliţa, Aldeşti I and Satchinez I), for short fruits (Satchinez III), but also the landraces Rieni III (17.07 g average weight of the fruit), Temerești II (89.82 fruits per plant), Aldești I (931.17 g fruits per plant).