Performance of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes for yield and yield attributing traits under Southern Telangana conditions

Introduction

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.), a member of the family Solanaceae with a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 24, is one of the most important spice-cum-vegetable crops cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It originated in South and Central America, with Mexico recognized as a primary centre of domestication, and later are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors [9] . Therefore, direct selection for yield alone is often inefficient, necessitating a comprehensive assessment of per se performance of genotypes for yield and its contributing traits under specific agro-ecological conditions [10] . Previous studies have demonstrated substantial variability among chilli genotypes for growth, phenology, yield, and quality traits, suggesting ample scope for identifying superior genotypes suited to local conditions [11][12][13] . However, systematic evaluation of diverse chilli genotypes under the southern Telangana conditions remains limited, particularly with respect to simultaneous assessment of yield and quality attributes [14] . The lack of region-specific information on genotype performance poses a major constraint in formulating effective breeding strategies and recommending suitable cultivars to farmers [15] . In this context, the present investigation was undertaken to address the problem of low and unstable chilli productivity in southern Telangana by evaluating the performance of diverse chilli genotypes for yield and yield attributing traits under local environmental conditions. The specific objective of the study was to assess the per se performance of selected chilli genotypes for growth, phenological, yield, and quality traits, and to identify high-performing and stable genotypes suitable for cultivation and use in breeding programmes [1618] . The underlying hypothesis of the study was that significant genetic variability exists among the evaluated chilli genotypes, and that certain genotypes possess superior combinations of yield and yield contributing traits that can be effectively exploited for enhancing chilli productivity under southern Telangana conditions.

Materials and Methods

Materials

The experimental material for the present investigation comprised a diverse set of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes collected from different sources to represent a broad genetic base. A total of forty chilli genotypes, including indigenous collections, advanced breeding lines, released varieties, and local landraces, were used in the study. The genotypes were primarily obtained from the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Regional Station, Hyderabad, Regional Agricultural Research Stations (RARS), Lam, Guntur, and local collections from Warangal district of Telangana. The experiment was conducted during the Kharif season under southern Telangana conditions at the Post Graduate Research Block, College of Horticulture, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, which lies in a semi-arid tropical zone at an altitude of approximately 542.6 m above mean sea level. The experimental field had red soil with coarse texture and uniform fertility status. Standard agronomic practices recommended for chilli cultivation in the region were followed to ensure optimum crop growth and to minimize non-genetic variation among genotypes [2,6,15] .

Methods

The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, considering each genotype as a treatment, to evaluate the performance of chilli genotypes for yield and yield attributing traits. Healthy seedlings were raised in protrays using a growth medium consisting of vermicompost, farmyard manure, and red earth in a 2:1:1 ratio and transplanted to the main field at six weeks of age.

Each genotype was planted in rows with recommended spacing, and all cultural operations such as irrigation, weeding, and plant protection measures were carried out uniformly. Observations were recorded on five randomly selected competitive plants from each genotype in every replication for growth, phenological, yield, and quality traits, including plant height, number of primary branches per plant, days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, days to first and last harvest, fruit length, fruit diameter, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, fruit yield per plant, and fruit yield per plot. Quality parameters such as ascorbic acid content, chlorophyll content, capsaicin content, and capsanthin content were estimated following standard biochemical procedures [4,5] . The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) appropriate for RBD to test the significance of differences among genotypes, as described by Panse and Sukhatme [16] , and the significance of mean squares was tested using the F-test as suggested by Fisher and Yates [17] . The evaluation of per se performance was used to identify superior genotypes suitable for cultivation and further use in chilli improvement programmes under southern Telangana conditions, in line with established approaches for genetic evaluation of chilli germplasm [8][9][10][11]18] .

Results

Analysis of variance

The pooled analysis of variance (ANOVA) carried out under a Randomized Block Design revealed highly significant differences (p≤0.01) among chilli genotypes for all yield and yield attributing traits, indicating the presence of substantial genetic variability within the experimental material. The significant mean sum of squares for genotypes confirms that the observed variation was primarily genetic rather than environmental, validating the suitability of the germplasm for selection and improvement programmes [16,17] . Similar observations of significant variability among chilli genotypes have been reported earlier, emphasizing the importance of evaluating diverse genetic resources for yield improvement [6,11,12] .

Interpretation

Among the evaluated genotypes, Warangal chapata recorded the highest fruit yield per plant (0.690 kg) and fruit yield per plot (11.00 kg), clearly outperforming the commercial checks Sindhur and LCA-625 (Table 1). The superior yield performance of this genotype was associated with favourable fruit diameter, higher recovery percentage, and enhanced biochemical attributes such as ascorbic acid and oleoresin content. These results corroborate earlier findings that yield superiority in chilli is often the cumulative effect of fruit size, fruit number, and quality traits rather than a single component character [6,9,10] . Genotypes P.075 and EC-399574 also exhibited consistently high yield performance, suggesting their adaptability to southern Telangana conditions and their potential utility in breeding programmes [7,8] .

Interpretation

The wide range of variation recorded for yield and quality traits (Table 2) indicates the presence of genetically diverse genotypes with contrasting performance. Such variability provides ample scope for selection of superior genotypes and confirms earlier reports on the existence of broad genetic diversity in chilli germplasm [6,11,13,14] . The large variation in ascorbic acid, capsanthin, and capsaicin content further highlights the possibility of simultaneous improvement of yield and quality traits through appropriate selection strategies [3,4,5] .

Figures 1 and2 clearly demonstrate the yield superiority of Warangal chapata over the standard checks, indicating its better adaptation and higher yield potential under the agroclimatic conditions of southern Telangana. The clear separation among genotypes further supports the effectiveness of per se performance evaluation in identifying promising for direct cultivation and as parents in breeding programmes [7,8,15] .

Discussion

The present investigation revealed substantial variability among chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes for yield and yield attributing traits under southern Telangana conditions, highlighting the scope for genetic improvement through selection. The significant differences observed among genotypes for all characters in the pooled analysis of variance confirm that the experimental material possessed adequate genetic diversity, which is a prerequisite for effective selection and crop improvement [6,11,12] . Similar findings have been reported earlier, indicating that germplasm collections often harbor wide variability for growth, yield, and quality traits due to their diverse genetic background and adaptation to different agro-climatic conditions [7,8,14] . The superior performance of Warangal chapata for fruit yield per plant and fruit yield per plot suggests its better adaptation to the local environment and its inherent genetic potential for higher productivity. Yield in chilli is a complex character influenced by the combined effect of several component traits, and the higher yield recorded in this genotype may be attributed to favourable fruit size, recovery percentage, and improved biochemical traits such as ascorbic acid and oleoresin content. Earlier studies have also emphasized that genotypes exhibiting a balanced combination of yield components generally outperform those excelling in a single trait [6,9,10] . The consistent performance of genotypes P.075 and EC-399574 further supports the importance of per se evaluation for identifying stable and high-yielding genotypes suited to specific regions [7, 15] . The wide range of variation observed for fruit yield per plant and fruit yield per plot indicates the presence of both low-and high-yielding genotypes within the population. Such variation is advantageous for breeders, as it allows the selection of superior genotypes and the identification of potential parents for hybridization programmes aimed at yield enhancement [6,8] . The results also corroborate earlier reports that regional evaluation of chilli genotypes is essential due to the significant influence of genotype × environment interactions on yield performance [14,15] . Therefore, the identification of locally adapted genotypes is critical for achieving stable yield gains in chilli cultivation. Quality traits such as ascorbic acid, capsanthin, capsaicin, and chlorophyll content exhibited considerable variation among genotypes, suggesting the possibility of simultaneous improvement of yield and quality. High ascorbic acid content observed in certain genotypes is particularly desirable from a nutritional standpoint, as chilli is an important dietary source of vitamin C [3,4] . Likewise, variability in capsanthin and capsaicin content is of significant industrial relevance, as these compounds determine colour value and pungency, respectively, which are key quality parameters in spice and pharmaceutical industries [3,5] . The observed variation in these biochemical traits aligns with previous reports emphasizing the genetic control of quality attributes in chilli and their responsiveness to selection [6,13] . Overall, the findings of the present study reaffirm that evaluation of chilli genotypes based on per se performance under specific agro-climatic conditions is an effective approach for identifying superior genotypes with high yield and desirable quality traits. The results support earlier conclusions that genetic variability, when properly assessed using appropriate experimental designs and statistical tools, can be effectively exploited for varietal improvement and development of high-yielding chilli cultivars adapted to regional conditions [8,16,17] . The identified superior genotypes from this study therefore hold promise for direct cultivation and for use as valuable parental material in future chilli breeding programmes aimed at enhancing productivity and quality under southern Telangana conditions.

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