IDENTIFICATION OF SWEET PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.) LINES TO DEVELOP Fl HYBRIDS RESISTANT TO POWDERY MILDEW

Abstract

Powdery mildew resistant sweet pepper lines were tested in line x tester analysis using commercial varieties as testers. Powdery mildew disease observed in parents and hybrids confirmed the dominant nature of disease resistance, which can be exploited in combination with heterosis for yield. Nonadditive gene action was predominant for plant growth and yield parameters except for number of secondary and tertiary branches.Among the eighteen lines studied, PMR 32 and PMR 45 were good combiners for fruits per plant, PMR 68 and PMR 57 for fruit weight, PMR 68 for early yield, and PMR 45, PMR 70 and PMR 68 for total yield. The good specific combiners for total yield were PMR27 x IHR1023, PMR 28 x IHR 1023, and PMR 52 X Arka Mohoni. The maximum heterosis observed over the best parent was 43.60/0 for total yield, 65.4% for early yield, and 42.1% for fruits/plant.