Development of Productive High Quality Insect and Disease Resistant Chile Pepper Cultivars From Inter and Intra-Specific Crosses.

A study was conducted to develop pepper cultivars with high yield potential, insect and disease resistance, and superior fruit characteristics, using germplasm from Griffin Georgia Seed Depository Bank. In preliminary greenhouse trials, several F1 generations were created through inter- and intra-specific crosses among 27 germplasm lines belonging to six Capsicum spp. Selected F1 progeny, parent lines, and selected accessions were planted in single-row field plots in summer of 2008. In general, higher crossing success was within intra-specific crosses than among inter-specific crosses. The Genotypic variation was significant for all parameters examined. The average percent germination (83.5%) of F1 progeny was 35% and 47% higher than that of the parent lines and selected accessions, respectively. The F1 progeny were shorter in height, more vigorous in growth, flowered earlier, had fewer, but heavier fruit per plant, and out-yielded the parent lines and accessions by 56% and 77.5%, respectively. The study showed marked heterosis in the F1 progeny compared to the parent lines and accessions.