Selection criteria for yield in hot pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.)

ABSTRACT Capsicum chinense Jacq., believed to have been domesticated 1000–2000 BC, is indigenous to tropical South America and the Caribbean and the most important pepper species grown in the Caribbean. Despite its economic importance, the low productivity of landraces grown in the Caribbean affects its profitability. The objective of the study was to understand the interrelationships between yield and its components in C. chinense towards developing selection criteria for improving yield. Two field experiments, first involving a diversity set of 86 accessions and the second with a subset of 22 promising accessions were carried out in a randomised complete block design with three replications each, and were evaluated for yield as well as 6 yield components (fruit number, clusters per plant, fruits per cluster, average fruit weight, flowers per node and reproductive efficiency) and three partitioning components (total dry weight, shoot dry weight and harvest index). Path coefficient analyses indicated that the important yield attributing characters to be fruit number (or clusters per plant) and average fruit weight whilst principal component analysis revealed the importance of average fruit weight, clusters per plant and harvest index. A restricted selection index involving three yield components is recommended for improving yield in hot pepper.