Genetic evaluation of biometrical traits in Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

In the present investigation, various biometrical traits in thirty genotypes of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) evaluated at the Experimental Farm of Division of Vegetable Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar revealed significance of genotypic effects. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes for all the traits studied. The phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were high for fruit yield ha-1, vitamin C content at green stage, vitamin C content at ripe stage, number of fruits plant-1, plant spread, plant height, number of branches plant-1, stem diameter, placenta length fruit length fruit diameter, fruit weight, fruit pedicel length and moderate for days to flower initiation, days to 50% flowering, days to 50% fruiting, days to harvesting and dry matter content. None of the traits showed low values for GCV and PCV. In general PCV was marginally higher than the corresponding GCV indicating the less influence of environment in the expression of characters under study. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of mean was observed for almost all characters except fruit diameter, number of branches plant-1, indicating that most of the characters studied were mainly controlled by additive gene effect and thus selection may be effective.