|
Nishani YAR1, Shyamalee HAPA2, Ranawake AL1*
1Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, Sri Lanka
2Agriculture Research Station, Thelijjawila, Sri Lanka
Abstract
Chili is one of the most needed spices worldwide, and consumers use it in different quantities to
suit their taste and aroma across continents. Among more than thirty Capsicum species, five species are domesticated,
and Capsicum annum, Capsicum chinense, and Capsicum frutescence are mainly cultivated for their
unique pungency.
While Capsicum annum is widely cultivated and being improved in different directions, C. frutescens and C. chinense
are underutilized, and their potential for commercialization and new variety development has not been thoroughly
evaluated or documented in Sri Lanka. This study conducted a comparative assessment of twenty C. chinense accessions
for thirty-one qualitative and quantitative characteristics at two consecutive growth seasons. TJ112, TJ123, TJ59,
and TJ105 recorded the best per plant yield of 231.53 g, 219.3 g, 178.36 g, and 156.63 g, respectively. TJ123 recorded
the largest fruits with maximum fruit circumference, fruit length, seeds per fruit, fruit wall thickness, and weight.
The weight per fruit, corolla length, and fruit wall thickness significantly contributed to the yield increment, and
these intercorrelated traits are the yield determinants of C. chinense. Two principal components derived from the
quantitative traits explained 71.04% of cumulative variance. Hierarchical agglomerative clustering formed four distinct
clusters, while cluster IV comprised the best-yielding accessions. These are potential accessions for producing high-yielding
C. chinense varieties. Future studies should focus on evaluating their capsaicin content, aroma, other chemical properties,
and environmental resilience. Expanding the collection of C. chinense accessions will enhance the chances of selecting
better accessions.
Keywords: Capsicum chinense, Cluster analysis, Genetic diversity, Morphological traits, Principal component analysis
Full Text : pdf
(1408 kb)
|
