ASSESSMENT ON VARIATION AND SEGREGATION IN F2 POPULATION OF HOT PEPPER (Capsicum annuum) CHAW SU

A good assessment on the extent of variation of qualitative and quantitative traits in hot pepper is highly important to select desirable traits for varietal improvement. The experiment was carried out to investigate the extent of variations in quantitative traits and to test the segregation pattern for some qualitative traits of selected F2 hot pepper. The seeds were collected from 23 F1 hot pepper plants grown at Yezin Agricultural University Farm. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with two replications. The traits like leaf length, leaf width, filament length, corolla length, fruit width, thousand seed weight and number of seeds per pod showed important contributors towards genetic variation among the genotypes. No significant difference observed in anther length, fruit length, fruit weight, total fruit weight and fruit pedicel length indicated uniformity in some yield contributing traits in F2 generation. Study on variability highlighted that phenotypic component was the major contributor to total variance for all traits studied. Low and medium heritability values and higher phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) suggested that these above phenotypic traits interacted with the environment rather than genetic variation. Segregation pattern of 21 qualitative traits indicated similar characters for angled stem, erect flower, white corolla and corolla spot, rotate corolla, white filament, elongate fruit, obtuseness of fruit at pedicel attachment and absent neck at base of fruit on all genotypes. Segregation distortion observed in some traits: nodal anthocyanin, branching habit, leaf shape, mature fruit color suggested that they are polygenic traits. Calyx margin and fruit bearing characters followed to the Mendelian ratio (3:1) highlighting the monogenic recessive nature of the gene. Anther color expressed independent assortment with complete dominance (9:3:3:1). Plant growth habit, stigma exsertion, fruit surface, leaf color and male sterility resulted as modified F2 dihybrid ratios indicating the involvement of two genes controlling each trait. From the breeding point of view, variation in quantitative traits, on which environmental factors have a profound effect, may hinder the progress in selection for progeny containing favorable genes. However, variation in qualitative traits, as a result of segregation in F2 progeny, might be useful for selection of desirable quality in next generation