Genetic inheritance of quantitative characters in ornamental peppers

Abstract

This study was carried out aimed to genetic inheritance analysis of 14 characteristics in ornamental peppers. Eight ornamental Capsicum annuum lines were crossed  to produce a diallel set without reciprocals. The 28 F₁ hybrids and their parents were arranged in a completely randomized design, with three replicates and two plants per plot. Data were subjected to variance analysis and subsequent diallel analysis performed according to Hayman's method. The t statistic was used to test the adequacy of the additive-dominance model. Canopy diameter, plant height, first bifurcation height, stem diameter, days to fruiting, leaf length, leaf width, fruit mass, fruit dry matter content, fruit diameter and yield manifested epistasis. For days to flowering and number of fruits per plant additive effects were more important, in this way selection in segregating generations will be quite efficient. These two traits exhibited partial dominance and fruit lenght exhibited overdominance it is being recommended to explore heterosis. The expected limits for the reduction of the average number of days to flowering is 89 days, for the increase in the number of fruits it is 96 fruits and for the reduction of the fruit length it is 6 milimeters. UFSJ 1 has the highest concentration of dominant genes to reduce days to flowering and fruit length averages and UFSJ 8 has the highest concentration of recessive genes to increase the number of fruit, so these parents are indicated for selection for continued breeding program.